OPINION: One death too many! Snake catchers should kill

ONE little boy is fighting for his life so one snake can roam free.

A Coastal Taipan ready to strike, the same breed as the snake that bit little Agnes Water boy Eli Campbell. Source: Discovery channel.

This is an opinion, and only represents the views of the author. 

A LITTLE two-year-old child happily goes down to the chook pen to collect the eggs - and is now battling for his life.

Why?

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So a poisonous snake can roam free in the bush.

A little four-year-old boy is also fighting for life so another snake can roam free.

I wonder if one of these snakes may have been caught and set free in the bush but returned for the easy meal of eggs.

Two young children's lives ruined, family and friends in deep sorrow, and for what - so two poisonous snakes can roam free.

AS IT HAPPENED | 

>>Toddler rushed to hospital after taipan bite

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A GoFundMe has been set up for Agnes Water toddler, Eli, after being bitten by coast taipan. Photo Contributed. Picture: Contributed

We set shark nets and bait lines to protect surfers, so why are snakes so important?

I am not suggesting a wholesale slaughter of snakes should happen but venomous snakes should be killed.

Most people cannot tell them apart so I suggest the law should be changed that when a registered snake handler who can tell the difference is required to clear a venomous snake he kills it.

There would still be plenty of a wide variety of snakes to avoid any perceived change to the environment.

We say one death on the road is one too many.

So is one death from snakebite.

John Baxter

Frenchville

Originally published as OPINION: One death too many! Snake catchers should kill