Thank you Jerry for this post I had been wondering what in the world this woman's deal was.NP

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Posted by Jean Lobel on December 19, 1999 at 13:20:52:

In Reply to: LA Woman killed by Gaboon Viper with Commentary posted by Jerry Feldner on December 19, 1999 at 09:38:52:

: The following was sent to me by friend in LA:
: Jerry:

: I thought you might be interested in this article which was posted on
: Slither and my response.

: ============================================================================
: I was reading the Atlanta Journal - Constitution this morning and found an
: article that I wanted to forward to everyone. If anyone else has any more
: info about this let us know.

: WOMAN WHO KEPT SNAKES DIES FROM BITE AT HOME

: A zoo volunteer who kept 10 poisonous snakes in her Van Nuys, Calif.,
: mobile home died from a bite from one and was found by police with a note
: for help clenched in her severely swollen hand. The note in Anita Finch's
: hand read, "Northridge Hospital - Ask for ICU." Finch, 33, had nearly
: finished an animal keeper's training course at the Los Angeles Zoo and was
: on her way to becoming a full-time employee there, said Michael Dee, the
: zoo's general curator. Authorities killed her snakes.

:
: That was all the article said. No other information as to what "poisonous"
: snakes she was keeping or why she was handling them in the first place or
: anything else. Anyone out on the west coast know anything more about this?

: Jay
: Atlanta, GA

: E-mail
: Item 8824844 99/12/18 21:54

: From: MOMCAT.PETS Diane Lee

: Sub: Sss: Re: Newspaper Article

: Anita Finch was a long time member of the Southwestern Herpetologists
: Society. Other members had repeatedly warned her that she was putting
: herself at risk by the way she was keeping her rattlesnakes.

: John, a friend of mine had visited her in an apartment where she lived a few
: years ago. [She was living in a trailer park at the time of her death.] He
: said that the rattlesnakes she had at that time were in ordinary glass tanks
: with screen lids, no locks and as far as he could see no earthquake
: precautions. She lived about 10 miles from the epicenter of the 1994
: Northridge quake.

: Steve Schatt, vice president and adoption chair of the Southwestern
: Herpetologists Society was quoted in the local papers as saying that he had
: warned her repeatedly about the threat posed by the gaboon viper. I beileve
: this to be an accurate quote, because Steve said much the same thing to me
: in September of this year. Steve has a permit to transport venomous snakes
: and was for a time a curator at a small natural history museum which had
: gaboons.

: According to the paper, there were two puncture marks on her hand and the
: gaboon viper seems to be the snake which made them. According to the paper
: she had bought the gaboon from somebody in Texas and it was about one foot
: in length.

: As to the killing of the gaboon and her rattlesnakes, it is quite possible
: that this was done by or at the direction of Cal Fish and Game. It is not
: legal to release any captive reptiles in Cal. The rattlesnakes were not
: legal in the City of Los Angeles and the gaboon was not legal in the state
: of California.

: The rescue group I work with recently held a workshop on the humane capture,
: restraint, identification and evaluation (healthwise) of reptiles For 53
: animal services professionals from SoCal and one from the San Francisco Bay
: area. Steve demonstrated the proper way to use a snake hook, (with a non-
: venomous snake) but the local animal control officers do not have the
: equipment, training or experience to safely deal with venomous snakes.

: Regrettable as the killing of the venomous snakes is, I think that it was
: rational. Apparently Anita only had two non-venomous snakes in her
: possession at the time of her death, a great basin gopher and a Cal king.
: John picked up both of these animals from the shelter yesterday. As soon as
: the authorities give permission (if they have not already done so) these
: snakes will be placed with members of the herp society.

: Anita truly cared about reptiles; at one time she brought me a black-headed
: snake (Tantilla sp.) which had been fished out of a swimming pool. Another
: time she gave me an alligator lizard which had stopped eating. (Turned out
: that the lizard was gravid.)

: Anita's family have indicated that they want her cages, other equipment and
: herp books to go to the Southwestern Herpetologists Society.

: Diane

Follow Ups:

Re: Thank you Jerry for this post I had been wondering what in the world this woman's deal was.NP Someone Who Read daily News in LA 12/19/99 (8)
- African sand viper? MsTT 12/20/99 (7)
  - Re: African sand viper? Tom Townsend 12/20/99 (1)
    - Re: African sand viper? The Law is all. Jerry Feldner 12/22/99 (0)
  - who cares what bit her...the fact is she's dead! n/p nick 12/20/99 (4)
    - I do find it interesting as to what killed her, but get sick of reading everyone's snobby responses arguing on the subject n/p nick 12/22/99 (0)
    - This is a venomous reptile forum. I think we ALL care what bit her (excepting you, of course) Chris Jones 12/21/99 (0)
    - I, for one, would very much like to know which snake and how it happened. Might save me and thee from ending up in the same, sad circumstances. more Gabby Haze 12/20/99 (1)
      - Re: I, for one, would very much like to know which snake and how it happened. Might save me and thee from ending up in the same, sad circumstances. more Jerry Feldner 12/22/99 (0)

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: : The following was sent to me by friend in LA: : : Jerry: : : I thought you might be interested in this article which was posted on : : Slither and my response. : : ============================================================================ : : I was reading the Atlanta Journal - Constitution this morning and found an : : article that I wanted to forward to everyone. If anyone else has any more : : info about this let us know. : : WOMAN WHO KEPT SNAKES DIES FROM BITE AT HOME : : A zoo volunteer who kept 10 poisonous snakes in her Van Nuys, Calif., : : mobile home died from a bite from one and was found by police with a note : : for help clenched in her severely swollen hand. The note in Anita Finch's : : hand read, "Northridge Hospital - Ask for ICU." Finch, 33, had nearly : : finished an animal keeper's training course at the Los Angeles Zoo and was : : on her way to becoming a full-time employee there, said Michael Dee, the : : zoo's general curator. Authorities killed her snakes. : : : : That was all the article said. No other information as to what "poisonous" : : snakes she was keeping or why she was handling them in the first place or : : anything else. Anyone out on the west coast know anything more about this? : : Jay : : Atlanta, GA : : : E-mail : : Item 8824844 99/12/18 21:54 : : From: MOMCAT.PETS Diane Lee : : Sub: Sss: Re: Newspaper Article : : Anita Finch was a long time member of the Southwestern Herpetologists : : Society. Other members had repeatedly warned her that she was putting : : herself at risk by the way she was keeping her rattlesnakes. : : John, a friend of mine had visited her in an apartment where she lived a few : : years ago. [She was living in a trailer park at the time of her death.] He : : said that the rattlesnakes she had at that time were in ordinary glass tanks : : with screen lids, no locks and as far as he could see no earthquake : : precautions. She lived about 10 miles from the epicenter of the 1994 : : Northridge quake. : : Steve Schatt, vice president and adoption chair of the Southwestern : : Herpetologists Society was quoted in the local papers as saying that he had : : warned her repeatedly about the threat posed by the gaboon viper. I beileve : : this to be an accurate quote, because Steve said much the same thing to me : : in September of this year. Steve has a permit to transport venomous snakes : : and was for a time a curator at a small natural history museum which had : : gaboons. : : According to the paper, there were two puncture marks on her hand and the : : gaboon viper seems to be the snake which made them. According to the paper : : she had bought the gaboon from somebody in Texas and it was about one foot : : in length. : : As to the killing of the gaboon and her rattlesnakes, it is quite possible : : that this was done by or at the direction of Cal Fish and Game. It is not : : legal to release any captive reptiles in Cal. The rattlesnakes were not : : legal in the City of Los Angeles and the gaboon was not legal in the state : : of California. : : The rescue group I work with recently held a workshop on the humane capture, : : restraint, identification and evaluation (healthwise) of reptiles For 53 : : animal services professionals from SoCal and one from the San Francisco Bay : : area. Steve demonstrated the proper way to use a snake hook, (with a non- : : venomous snake) but the local animal control officers do not have the : : equipment, training or experience to safely deal with venomous snakes. : : Regrettable as the killing of the venomous snakes is, I think that it was : : rational. Apparently Anita only had two non-venomous snakes in her : : possession at the time of her death, a great basin gopher and a Cal king. : : John picked up both of these animals from the shelter yesterday. As soon as : : the authorities give permission (if they have not already done so) these : : snakes will be placed with members of the herp society. : : Anita truly cared about reptiles; at one time she brought me a black-headed : : snake (Tantilla sp.) which had been fished out of a swimming pool. Another : : time she gave me an alligator lizard which had stopped eating. (Turned out : : that the lizard was gravid.) : : Anita's family have indicated that they want her cages, other equipment and : : herp books to go to the Southwestern Herpetologists Society. : : Diane

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