Don't expect antivenim for exotic snakebites -- cbc.ca December 17, 2007
A Surrey man who nearly lost his finger after a bite from his pet cobra is now home recovering, but B.C. health officials are warning the province has no supply of antivenin for exotic snakebites. Jason Hansen, 36, was bitten by Eve, his pet albino cobra, on Dec. 6, and he is still suffering from the effects. He has massive scarring on his arm and may still lose his finger, which is badly damaged. The bite was dry and no venom was released, but the neurotoxins in the snake's saliva caused serious tissue damage, he said. "It just looks like a finger with no skin," he told CBC News on Friday.
Experts say the case should be a warning to people who collect exotic and dangerous pets that life-saving antivenin is difficult to get and not always effective. Debra Kent, the supervisor of the B.C. Poison Control Centre, told CBC News that even if a hospital does have antivenin, doctors won't necessarily administer it to patients, because it is only effective in limited situations. In Hansen's case, antivenin was eventually obtained from Alberta, but never administered, because his respiratory system wasn't failing, said Kent. Many B.C. hospitals carry antivenin for bites from rattlesnakes, a species native to parts of B.C.'s Southern Interior, but they don't stock antivenin for non-native species such as cobras, said Kent. "The two closest places to us that carry exotic snake antivenin are the Woodland Zoo in Seattle and Reptile World in Drumheller, Alta.," said Kent.
Michael Teller, the manager at the Woodland Zoo ... If the bite is verified, and if the situation is life-threatening, they will ship antivenin, but Teller said exotic snake antivenin is rare and expensive, meaning if they hand out their vials, they put themselves at risk.
Cobra bites are rare, Kent said, but the latest incident has been a wakeup call for local health officials. "We don't really know how many private collections there are in B.C. [of poisonous exotic snakes]," she said. Hansen said there are a lot more than people think, and for that reason exotic snake antivenin should be readily available.
Any law against trade in exotic, protected, endangered, dangerous species?
View the 12 hits we got Jan. 3/08 at Environment Canada when we searched the Wild Animal Plant Protection Regulation of International Interprovincial Trade Act WAPPRIITA.
Here's how it works:
EC Investigation Into Alleged Illegal Importation of African Elephant Ivory Leads to Charges
Vancouver, April 12, 2007 - Environment Canada has laid 4 charges against Yuk Ming HO of Richmond, British Columbia for alleged violations of the Wild Animal and Plant Protection and Regulation of International and Interprovincial Trade Act (WAPPRIITA). The charges stem from an investigation by Environment Canada's Wildlife Enforcement Division, Pacific and Yukon Region. Mr. Ho has been given notice to appear in Richmond Provincial Court on April 26, 2007.
It is alleged that in March 2005, Mr. Ho unlawfully imported into Canada African Elephant ivory which had been exported from Hong Kong without a permit, an alleged importation violation in contravention of WAPPRITTA. Mr. Ho also faces a charge of possession of African Elephant ivory specimens allegedly for the purpose of distributing or offering to distribute parts of an animal considered to be threatened with extinction.
Controls on the international trade and movement of animal and plant species that have been, or may be, threatened due to excessive commercial exploitation are set by the Convention on International Trade of Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora (CITES). More than 30,000 endangered species of animals and plants, including African Elephants, are listed under CITES. WAPPRIITA is the legislation by which Canada meets its obligations under CITES. The Act and regulations rely on a permit system as assurance that trade in CITES-listed wild animal and plant specimens is legal.
Environment Canada is responsible for the administration and enforcement of WAPPRIITA. An individual found guilty of an offence under the Act is liable to a maximum penalty of a $150,000 fine or five years imprisonment or both. Further information on CITES and WAPPRIITA may be found at www.cites.ec.gc.ca.
For more information, please contact:
Regional Communications Advisor
Micheline Brodeur
(604) 713-9539
Regional Enforcement Officer
Marko Goluza
(604) 666-9082
Our e-mail to Environment Canada:
From: editor
To: greenlane.pyr@ec.gc.ca
Cc: editor
Sent: Thursday, January 03, 2008 11:27 AM
Subject: Trade in exotic and dangerous animals listed on Control List
Hello Environment Canada,
Like many Vancouverites this Christmas, I was horrified to learn from the CBC News story on cobra owner Hansen that there may be quite a number of dubiously motivated collectors here of rare, exotic and extremely dangerous animals. I visited EC's website and was relieved to see both CTES and WAPPRITTA, but I'm unclear on the regulations regarding fauna on the Control List. Can it be - say NO!- that Hansen is quite within his rights to keep this poor creature? Please advise.
Editor
http://www.bccondos.ca
Tracking the failure of mult-unit housing worldwide compounded
by the culture's sick and boundless compulsion to sequester pet-slaves.
Bookmark this page
|