RE: What Really Grinds My Gears (Some graphic content)
Imagine if people killed cats or dogs just because they didn't like them.
They do this in my country, or at least did when I was a teen. Randomly poisoning dogs kept as pets by throwing poisoned foods in their yards, and outright killing street cats brutally or stirring the wheel in order to run them over on purpose when they got in front of cars, was not at all a rare occurrence.
I think ignorance is to blame. Although I always reacted negatively to the killings of cats and dogs, I can sort of remember a time when I too would look at those pictures of dead snakes and think nothing of it. And when I introspect as to why, I find the reason was simply ignorance. I didn't know things like "snakes can be beneficial" or "there's snakes that are harmless" etc. I thought of them like mice or mosquitoes, I guess.
With snakes, it's still considered something of a hobby or a thing-to-do when certain types of people go out into the wild. Not different than foraging mushrooms. You pick up some mushrooms, you kill some snakes that you encounter on the way. I knew a person when I was a kid who killed every hedgehog he saw in front of him. (Btw completely unlikable person in general, with issues.)
So, like I said, at least in the case of normal people, education is all that's needed. People like you, people like the herpetologist who posted these pics, to inform people.
You're right, there are people who kill things they don't like, dogs and cats included. However, when they kill these animals there is usually quite a public outcry (at least in my experience, yours may differ) and people are enraged by the act. What bothers me is that with snakes, there is no outcry, and some people even display some level of gratitude toward the killer. People know killing dogs and cats is wrong, but seem unaware that killing snakes is just as wrong.
I do think (and pray!) it is largely ignorance. I hope that through education and understanding, people can appreciate these animals and the natural world around them. That is why I do what I do; I try to educate people and bring them around to understanding our reliance on these creatures. And usually it works; most people are simply unaware and will feel some level of remorse once they understand the animal and what they have done. Most people do come around; I've had individuals who have killed snakes in the past that they believed to be dangerous, but once I explained how harmless and beneficial they really are, they now even appreciate these animals around their homes. However, it is the rare instances like this that I unfortunately do not think ignorance is to blame, but simple hate and a desire to kill. I believe this individual committed this knowing full well what they were doing.
Thanks for your comment!
In this specific case, I think it's just a person with issues, maybe a sadist of sorts, lashing out on animals who can't defend themselves. If there are people who like to torture humans, fully cognizant of what they're doing, I see no reason why they wouldn't do the same to animals. Like the hedgehog guy in my story, who specifically liked to put them on fire, like another guy who swung cats from their tails cos he was fascinated by how the tails broke off, etc. I don't know what can be done about them, but maybe they can be indirectly controlled by sufficiently educating people in their periphery. (Whoever did that thing in your post, he has a family, friends, etc., people who probably know about this "hobby" of his.)
That's a fair point and definitely one I can't argue with. Some of the people who enable these individuals are just as much of a problem even if they don't actively engage in the behavior. Earlier this year, a young girl microwaved a turtle and the mother of course defended her and downplayed the situation. So you're right, maybe reaching out to these people can help prevent these scenarios. Law enforcement agencies are also cracking down on what constitutes cruelty and abuse and I think the added threat of fines/incarceration will help cut down on these heinous incidents.