September already? I am just two weeks away from having lived in Australia for 6 months and it's fair to say that more has happened since I have been here than would have happened had I stayed in England. I would never have got my hands on a range of snakes, alligators, lizards and other reptiles in Devon. We don't have them in the UK and we're not expected to have any understanding of them but Australians? They are...
At this time of year when things are warming up in Australia snakes tend to come out of hibernation, Humpback Whales are part-way through the Great Migration to the Antarctic and the beaches are gradually filling up with people bringing them closer to marine life. So I find it somewhat dismaying to hear of people over here that are seemingly so unaware of the nature around them that their answer is to kill an animal that happens to cross their path.
When I was a kid I was petrified of sharks, snakes, crocodiles, alligators and any other dangerous animal. Why? Because I didn't have a clue about any of them. My idea of sharks was based on seeing bits of Jaws when I was 6 years old, my image of snakes was that they were out to bite you and the same goes for all of those animals. I was also frightened of Bulls and Cows as a kid, so that shows you just how irrational a lack of knowledge can be. It wasn't until I saw a certain Steve Irwin on TV that I began to understand these potentially dangerous creatures a little more and thus became slightly more educated. I don't claim to have a complete understanding of these animals at all, just enough to know that they have their own behavioural traits and that it is up to humans to bear that in mind in order to minimalise any potential risks.
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Up close with a Great White?
Wouldn't happen in your
back garden, would it?! |
Jess and I recently had a holiday to Hervey Bay in Queensland, and I was unaware until shortly before we arrived there that a certain Shark Hunter called Vic Hislop lives there. He is renowned for his old fashioned opinion of sharks and in particular, Great Whites. He believes there should be a national cull of Great Whites and that they are conditioned to feed on humans, and are targeting people. He has even made a museum in Hervey Bay where he exhibits a frozen Great White Shark that he himself killed. A little hypocritical? He believes that any individual wild animal that attacks a human should be put down, and I just can't agree with that totally. That makes the assumption that these animals have the ability to think like a human. Quite simply, they can't.
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| Who is in who's habitat? |
Most shark attacks are a case of mistaken identity and curiosity. A shark cannot come up and introduce itself by extending a hand to shake, it only has one method of testing things out and seeing what they are. Unfortunately for us soft fleshed human types, that method involves about 300 razor sharp teeth that do a lot of damage with not a lot of effort. The majority of attacks are a single hit, and the shark generally won't come back for a second bite. That first bite is usually enough for the animal to realise that this isn't an item of prey that they like and they swim off. Occasionally they have come back for more and that is one of the most basic human fears; Being eaten alive. However, lets look at this objectively. Humans are land based mammals, we belong on land. Sharks are fish. They belong in the sea. Ergo you shouldn't be too surprised that occasionally our paths cross when humans decide to go into the sea. So I'm sorry Vic Hislop... until sharks start coming onto land and actively seeking out humans to devour, then they have right of way when our paths cross. Sharks were in the ocean long before humans and you'd do well to remember that.
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Elvis The Crocodile
at the
Australian Reptile Park |
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Mosman the Crocodile
at Steve Irwin's
Australia Zoo |
Moving on to a dangerous animal that belongs in water but is just as comfortable on land; Crocodiles. In parts of Australia humans are gradually moving further and further into croc territory. The city of Darwin, and the Northern Territory are prime examples. Last month a Saltwater Crocodile took a 26 year old man swimming in the Mary River. I can't imagine the horror that the poor man must have gone through at all, and I have huge sympathy for the people that had to witness it and for his family. Should the crocodile be destroyed for it though? No, I don't think so. Croc attacks on humans occur when people go swimming in their territory or get to close to the water's edge where crocs lurk. To suggest crocs are capable of human thought, and therefore specifically target humans is ridiculous. Crocodiles see any animal as a potential food item, and target anything (or anyone) that comes into range. Until crocodiles start coming up to people's doors, ring the doorbell then eat the poor bugger that answers then they have right of way when our paths cross. Crocodiles were in their rivers long before humans decided to take to that water for a swim.
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| Jess and I with a Woma Python |
Now, snakes... Many people fear snakes because a lot of species have the ability to kill without the desire to actually eat you. From something with no limbs that is a frightening thought. Pythons (Burmese, Reticulated, etc), Boas and Anacondas can grow very large and in some cases could devour a small person. They kill by constricting their prey and squeeze until every last particle of air has exited the lungs before swallowing the prey whole. Then there are smaller snakes that have absolutely no intention (or ability) to eat a person but can kill by injecting venom. Australia is home to 12 of the top 20 most venomous snakes in the world and in general the rule is simple. If you leave the snakes alone, they will leave you alone. Come to the Australian Reptile Park and you will learn the rules of treating a snake bite and Rule Number 1 is....:
Put the snake down...! The majority of bites are from people standing on or attempting to handle snakes without knowing what they are doing. Even experienced snake handlers get bitten sometimes.
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Eastern Brown Snake.
Arguably the most dangerous
snake in Australia. |
I have heard far too many stories of snakes appearing on people's property and their first reaction is to get a shovel and kill the snake, or get something to smash it over the head. Why?! They're not after you! I'm not suggesting for a second that the snake should be made welcome, given its own bedroom and en suite, a welcome party and free rent but it doesn't deserve to die just for being there. Of course it can't stay but it doesn't have to be killed. Snake removal people are all around Australia and can come and safely relocate a dangerous snake far away from human interaction. Snakes can share our habitat and the chances are if you have gone bushwalking you have passed within a few feet of hundreds of snakes without knowing about it, but you can bet your bottom dollar they knew you were there. Chances are they would have gotten out of your way long beforehand. The exception being the Death Adder which lies there in wait to ambush it's prey. Rodents, in case you wondered... They generally are no longer than 70cm-1m so they really don't want to eat you.
The recurring theme with all of these animals is that if you leave them alone they will leave you alone. If you don't go near them, they won't go near you. On the flip side, the media come up with ridiculous statements about the likelihood of you being attacked by these animals and say things like:
"You are more likely to be killed by a falling vending machine than a shark attack."
With the greatest of respect, why don't you go surfing off Seal Island near Cape Town in South Africa and see how many vending machines launch out of the water and fall on you? Then we'll see what's more likely.
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Tiger Snake in the wild.
It didn't bite me because I didn't
get close to it. How hard is it?! |
The point should be that sharks, crocodiles, snakes, lions, tigers, and any other animal in the world are not capable of human thought or behavioural patterns. It is up to humans to avoid putting themselves in a situation where you come into contact with these creatures. Don't swim in the ocean if you never want to see a shark. Don't swim in a river in the Northern Territory or northern Queensland if you don't want to be close to crocodiles. And don't pick up a snake whose venom could have you in a bodybag within hours. It's the equivalent to people buying a house at the end of a runway and complaining about the noise aeroplanes make.
As humans we have taught ourselves that we have a divine right to own and be anywhere on the planet. It is undeniable that we as a human race are expanding further and further into habitat we never used to and that in turn brings us closer to these animals. However we cannot forget that those animals were on this earth way before you or I. Before sentencing these animals to death by shovel or shotgun perhaps we need to stand back, take the time to learn about these animals and their behaviour. They do a job elsewhere in the eco-system which was perfectly balanced before humans got involved.
At the end of the day, educating yourself about their habits and instincts will keep you far safer than killing any that cross your path.
