Hold the animals, handle the reptiles and animals, hold the reptiles, handle the reptiles, hold the animals, handle the wildlife, hold the wildlife. Snakebusters are the only hands on reptiles.
“Hands on” reptile shows with Snakebusters to continue ...
In VCAT proceedings at end 2008, the Victorian government licencing
authority (called "DSE") and “Zoo’s Victoria” argued against Snakebusters allowing "hands
on" with reptiles at their demonstrations.
DSE stated repeatedly that Snakebusters were the only demonstrators who
allow the public to hold their reptiles at shows and events and that all other traveling
reptile and wildlife demonstrators effectively confined themselves to “show and
tell”, and perhaps allowing the public a fleeting touch of an animal, while
being held in a firm grip by the demonstrator.
They repeatedly pointed out that Snakebusters are the only demonstrator
in Victoria that actually allows people to hold reptiles and furthermore allows
many people to do so at once.
“Zoo’s Victoria” and
DSE repeatedly claimed Snakebusters had an “unfair advantage” with their “hands
on” (and exclusive posession of "devenomized snakes"), as compared to their own business which effectively confines the public to
viewing animals in cages and without “hands on” (and their 
staff regularly getting life-threatening snake bites - a risk Snakebusters didn't have due to their devenomized snakes) with the major claim that Snakebusters
was costing Melbourne Zoo and Healesville Sanctuary customers and that was also making "Zoo's Victoria"
costing Victorian taxpayers who financially supported the zoos multi-million
dollar annual losses.
Snakebusters and
thousands of supporting petitioners, including teachers, parents and so on,
argued that “Zoos Victoria” and other demonstrators should raise their
standards to meet Snakebusters, rather than attempting to force Snakebusters to
lower their standards to help competitors gain market share.
VCAT Commissioner Anne
Coghlan agreed with the government submissions against “Hands on” by Snakebusters, remarking that if she had it her way, all snakes would be killed on sight! She further made it clear that she wanted to use VCAT to support "Zoos Victoria" in order to reduce the "competitive advantages" of Snakebusters to help "Zoos Victoria" in particular improve their commercial position. Coghlan also stated that if she could, she’d ban
all wildlife demonstrations and private ownership of reptiles, thereby confining all public viewing of wildlife to the three government-owned zoos to give “Zoos
Victoria” a monopoly on wildlife education in Victoria and a stronger market
position. However she was unable to make
an order stopping “hands on”, because this is expressly allowed in the preamble
to the Victorian Wildlife Act, which is the law governing private wildlife ownership and wildlife shows
and demonstrations in Victoria, including Snakebusters.
There is now talk
about amending the Victorian Wildlife Act in 2012 to ban any private ownership
of reptiles, “hands on” at demonstrations and so on, but this has not yet
happened, and as in previous years, Snakebusters will lead the resistance to
any such moves.
Hence for the time being
and contrary to false claims circulated by Snakebusters rivals, ALL the “hands on”
by Snakebusters at our reptile shows, events, educational school incursions,
kid’s parties and the like remains totally legal. By the way, contrary to a repeated false claim by a rival, Snakebusters don't hand out (devenomized) Tiger Snakes to kids at parties! The claim was made by a person (apparantly) unable to tell the difference between a Sand Python and a Tiger Snake. Funnily enough, VCAT Commissioner Anne Coghlan also had the misguided belief that pythons were dangerously venomous snakes as well!
Snakebusters remain
the “hands on” reptile show of choice for Victorians and is supported by tens
of thousands of school teachers, parents and others who want their kids,
friends and families to have the best "hands on" educational wildlife shows and education
possible.
Further links
Please scroll through the list before making a selection
General notes - all reptile parties, displays, etc.
If interested in these please read this link first.
Snakebusters main website entry, shows, consulting, snake catching, venomous/snake advanced keeping courses, photos, media, filming, etc.
Non-urgent email inquiries via our bookings page at:
http://www.snakebusters.com.au/sbsboo1.htm
Bookings and urgent inquiries phone:
Melbourne, Victoria, Australia:
(03) 9812 3322 or 0412 777 211
Handle the reptiles, hands on reptile shows, handle the wildlife at kid's parties, handle the animals at children's birthday parties in Melbourne, Victoria, Australia, Hold the wildlife at school incursions, hold the reptiles at educational shows, hold the animals at reptile awareness demonstrations, snake awareness lectures with hands on in Melbourne, Victoria, Australia, hands on corporate events with reptiles in Melbourne, Victoria.
Snakebusters are Australia's most sought after reptile demonstrators and kids reptile party and parties, with most hands on, most audience interaction, best educational outcomes for incursions and with the best reptiles displayed.
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Hands on reptile shows, hands on kid's parties, hands on children's birthday parties in Melbourne, Victoria, Australia, Hands on school incursions, hands on educational shows, hands on reptile awareness demonstrations, snake awareness lectures with hands on in Melbourne, Victoria, Australia, hands on corporate events with reptiles in Melbourne, Victoria.