Inside This Issue:
- Man Who Posted Video Demonstrating His “Total Control” of World’s Most Venomous Snake Gets Bitten by World's Most Venomous Snake
- Cute and Consequential Videos: Endangered Wombat Edition
- Vet Your Local Rescue/Dog Relocation and Importation
- Widow of 81-Year-Old Man Who Was Killed by Vicious Dogs Files Lawsuit Against the City of San Antonio
- News Bites of a Literal Variety
Man Who Posted Video Demonstrating His “Total Control” of World’s Most Venomous Snake Gets Bitten by World's Most Venomous Snake
Call me unpredictable, tell me I'm impractical.
Just hours before being bitten by the world's most venomous snake, the inland taipan, Jeffrey Leibowitz posted a video on Instagram advising viewers on how to handle snakes. "Just know their limitations," he said. Despite his buoyant confidence, he was hospitalized in serious condition after the snake bite. The incident occurred last Friday morning, and despite immediate medical attention, including antivenom treatment (no simple thing to procure), he remains in serious condition, likely facing a prolonged recovery and possible organ damage.
Leibowitz, known for his social media presence where he showcased his handling of various venomous snakes, had over 15,000 followers on Instagram. His posts often depicted him interacting closely with these animals, a practice warned against by wildlife experts due to the unpredictable nature of snakes. His actions and the subsequent events highlight the dangers of keeping and interacting with venomous wildlife, despite his attempts at normalizing such interactions through his online presence.
Following the bite, authorities discovered 14 venomous snakes in Leibowitz's home, including species like green mambas, gaboon vipers, and various rattlesnakes. Conditions in the home and of the snake enclosures were described, generously, as “substandard.”
Nearby facilities were contacted to assist with the snake removal and to see if they could rehome them. Unfortunately, no facility was able to do so. Since records were unavailable and the origins and health backgrounds of the snakes were unknown, even experienced and capable zoological institutions would not take the risk of bringing them into their collections, so the snakes were euthanized. It goes without saying that had they been responsibly kept in the first place, they would have had a chance at living out their lives comfortably, well-fed, and educating the public.
Not surprisingly, a debate has been sparked on the responsibility of owning exotic and dangerous animals, with many in the community criticizing Leibowitz for his free-handling practices and the lack of preparedness for such an emergency. His case also highlights broader issues associated with dangerous exotic animal ownership, such as the availability of antivenom.
Source: ‘No need to be so scared,’ man apparently says hours before venomous snake bites him
Cute and Consequential Videos: Endangered Wombat Edition
Maybe a little camera shy.
Australian conservationists recently captured a unique interaction on a trail camera between an echidna and a critically endangered northern hairy-nosed wombat. The footage showed the echidna attempting to engage with the wombat, which responded by kicking dirt in annoyance. Tim Flannery from the Australian Museum highlighted the rarity of this interaction, describing it as a "nervous wombat and a happy echidna."
Both species are iconic in Australia, with the northern hairy-nosed wombat being particularly endangered. In the 1990s, their numbers dropped below 35, but conservation efforts have since increased their population to nearly 400 in a small, isolated area within Epping Forest National Park in central Queensland. This habitat consists of open eucalypt woodlands with alluvial soils, which the wombats prefer for digging their burrows. Major threats include habitat loss due to agricultural expansion, competition with livestock, predation by introduced species like foxes and dingoes, and diseases. Compounding these problems, northern hairy-nosed wombats have a slow reproductive rate, adding to the challenge of increasing their numbers. According to the Wombat Foundation, putting up a predator-proof fence and providing supplementary food and water has helped somewhat, allowing wombat numbers to grow.
While the camera footage provides those of us sitting at home with a cute video, trail cameras can play an important role in wildlife monitoring. The footage provides evidence of the wombats' healthy condition and successful breeding. It also demonstrates the effectiveness of translocation. Experts like Flannery advocate for establishing new populations of these wombats to further ensure their survival. Wombats hold a special place in Australian culture and biodiversity, representing unique marsupial adaptations. The northern hairy-nosed wombat's plight has drawn significant attention to conservation efforts in Australia.
Vet Your Local Rescue/Dog Relocation and Importation
The dogs and cats that survived should be able to enjoy full, happy lives once they are adopted.
This week, animal control officers discovered several deceased dogs and cats at a Michigan “rescue” while responding to reports of animal neglect and abuse. Nine of the animals survived and are currently recovering in the county shelter. While the neglect they endured is heartbreaking, they should be able to enjoy full, happy lives once they are adopted.
The main suspect in the case is already in custody for other violations. The reason there were so many animals on their property is because they were running a Facebook page that claimed they were a pet rescue.
This is a good reminder of how important it is to vet the rescues and shelters we work with. When it comes to breeding, the public already knows that caution and vetting are warranted. There’s an awareness, however dim, that anyone can leave two unfixed dogs alone for an hour, then call themselves a “breeder” in 63 days. So conscientious buyers make a point to meet their breeders, check references, and do the best they can to make sure they’re dealing with someone who treats their animals well and strives to produce healthy, happy pups.
When it comes to rescue, however, there is less inherent skepticism. To some extent, this is understandable. If you run a rescue or shelter, most people are going to interpret your actions, however irksome or eccentric, through the warm haze of a halo. There is also the fact that hardly anybody surrenders their pet on a lark. An owner’s choice to surrender their pet is often due to a combination of painful issues – economic, housing, behavioral, health, etc. – and once that difficult decision is made, they want to believe that their dog or cat is in a better situation. But as the horrific scenario in this story demonstrates, it is absolutely essential to vet your rescue or shelter. Not only when adopting a new companion, but when surrendering a pet!
Related sidenote: just today, the Los Angeles Times published an exposé on California’s destructive lack of records-keeping when it comes to importing dogs into the state. The gist of the article is that the largely unregulated mass movement of dogs makes it easy for bad operators to cheat consumers and perpetuates unacceptable animal welfare practices. For example, people are told they are getting a “specialty” or “locally bred” or even “rescue” dog, while in truth, they are receiving a dog from a shady, out-of-state mass breeder. And this is enabled by the fact that nobody knows whom they are dealing with or where these dogs are actually coming from. If there’s a term for this, it’s dog laundering, and it is destroying the animal welfare and consumer protection laws that responsible breeders and rescues have developed over the last 50 years. The LA Times piece only covers the tip of the iceberg, focusing primarily on bad breeders and brokers. But it does give those of us who track and suffer from the issue a glimpse of just how broken the systems dealing with animal importation, control, and protection are.
Source: 25 animals removed from home in Jackson County, neglected and abused
Widow of 81-Year-Old Man Who Was Killed by Vicious Dogs Files Lawsuit Against the City of San Antonio
If you are scared to walk down the street because of the neighbor's dogs, your local animal control isn't doing its job.
You may remember an awful story from last year where an 81-year-old man, Ramon Najera, died after protecting his wife, Juanita, from a vicious dog attack. This year, his widow is suing the city of San Antonio for this “grievous and preventable” tragedy.
We don’t have to go into detail on the “grievous” portion of this lawsuit, as it’s self-explanatory: Mr. Najera, suffered horrific, bone-exposing bites from the dog attack and died in excruciating pain. The “preventable” aspect requires some explanation but ultimately stems from San Antonio’s Animal Care Services impounding the dogs a month prior to the attack and deeming them “dangerous” – yet inexplicably choosing to release the dogs back into the custody of their owners.
These dogs were well-known for being dangerous, both by nearby residents as well as the city. Complaints had been lodged since 2020, and the dogs attacked a man holding a baby in 2021. Then they were impounded in early 2023 prior to the attack on Mr. Najera. Additionally, police had been called to the dog owners’ home over 100 times over the course of two years for various disturbances, so it’s not like there was a lack of awareness. The dog owners could face up to 20 years in prison, and in the sentencing portion of their trial, witnesses are testifying that they warned each other when the dogs were loose, that they built defensive dog-proof fences on their properties, that they often received no response to calls they made to animal services, and that they traveled with sticks and other implements in the hopes of keep the dogs at bay. In all these instances, the witnesses say they were not informed that they could file a dangerous dog affidavit, which would have at least started an official investigation.
We don’t know the reason or reasons these famously vicious dogs were released back to their owners, but given the complaints and prior attacks, it was an inexcusable choice with deadly consequences. We can only hope that lawsuits like the one Mrs. Najera just filed will serve as a wakeup call to various municipalities, and help avoid the type “grievous and preventable tragedies” suffered by people like Ramon Najera.
Source: Family of Ramon Najera files lawsuit against City of San Antonio after deadly dog attack
News Bites of a Literal Variety
Rabid?
In this week’s news bites, we have some bites of a literal variety (though thankfully, not more dog bites)…
A proposed law in the town of Webb, New York, would give stiff fines to people who knowingly feed, bait, or harass wildlife. This proposal is a response to last month’s incident where a mother bear and her two cubs were euthanized after the mother (quite understandably) became agitated by a crowd of gawking spectators who wouldn’t leave the three bears alone. The crowd allegedly ignored pleas from town officials to provide the bears with adequate personal space and escape routes, escalating the situation. There are already notices posted throughout town telling people to avoid feeding and interacting with wildlife, which are apparently thoroughly ignored. Fines alone probably won’t change the Disney-meets-Instagram mindset that affects far too many of our interactions with wildlife. And as with all legislation, this law may bring confusion and unintended consequences. But regardless of how this works out, the town’s frustration and need to take action are entirely understandable.
In Pasadena, California, the feeding problem is with pets – in this case, poisonous treats. Someone has been leaving grapes and chocolates on the ground outside a doggie daycare for several months, and now a suspect has been seen on surveillance camera. We have no clue what is motivating the suspect, but this is a really nasty, cruel game. Thankfully, there have been no reports of dogs getting sick or dying from this person’s poisonous “gifts,” and hopefully the video helps catch the suspect!
Source: Suspect leaves poisonous foods for dogs outside pet daycare in Pasadena, video shows
Last May, a seal on a popular South African beach went bonkers, biting five surfers in a short span of time. This event occurred shortly after the discovery of a seal with a horrifically lacerated face and came in the wake of recent, strangely aggressive seal behavior. An investigation ensued, and scientists learned that seals – long viewed as mammals that simply “don’t get rabies” – can, indeed, become infected with the horrible virus. Currently, 17 cases of rabies in seals have been confirmed. It’s a rough situation for the animals, but the worst part is not knowing what happens next. Will the outbreak fizzle out? Will we see a massive die off? Will seals officially join the list of mammals that “do get rabies”? It's a nervous-making waiting game and only time will tell.
Source: Why are Cape fur seals in South Africa infected with rabies?
Finally, there is a problem with pet food itself – its price. Grocery costs may have stabilized over the last few months, but the cost of pet food is still shooting up in some states. Vermont has been hit particularly hard: pet owners have suffered a 44% increase in the cost of pet food over the last five years, and the state is still near the top of the pack for (pet food) inflation. Numerous factors – production cost, supply chains, competition, consumer/cultural preferences, and more – affect the price of pet food, and the interplay of these factors changes by region, making this a tough issue to analyze. Trying to make sense of why Oregon’s prices recently fell while South Carolina’s rocketed upward makes for an interesting mental exercise in socioeconomics, though it doesn’t provide immediate relief for anyone who is struggling to keep their pets fed.
Source: Here’s where the price of pet food has gone up the most
Also in the News...
★ Front Street shelter waives dog adoption fees through weekend after hoarding rescue (Waived Fees; Hoarding; Rescue & Shelter Opportunities)
★ Do Animals Know That They Will Die? (Existential Observations; Comparative Thanatology)
★ Over 100 Utah animals illegally killed over past month, wildlife officials say (Poaching; Mostly Fish; Regulations & Citations)
★ Colorado's wolf reintroduction effort: Officials step in after animals killed (Wolf Reintroduction & Capture; Livestock Depredation)
★ Person cited for leaving corpses of headless sharks, other marine animals on Island beach (Hunting & Fishing; Regulations; Fish Wasting)
★ Flood Kills 80 Percent of Animals at Nigerian Zoo and Sets Loose 'Crocodiles and Snakes' (Zoos; Dam Disaster; Exotic & Endangered Animals)
★ D.C.’s animal services will soon be shaken up. Here’s what we know. (Follow up on D.C's Animal Services Breakup)
Click here to see what is happening legislatively
