Slaughtering of BOAS....UGH

#1 (**permalink**) 09-23-2002, 08:16 PM

This came in on the "contact us" button for the RTB site...

<TABLE BORDER=0 ALIGN=CENTER WIDTH=85%><TR><TD><font class="pn-sub">Quote:</font><HR></TD></TR><TR><TD><FONT class="pn-sub"><BLOCKQUOTE>Hi need help im writing from aruba the last couple of years we are having
a \"problem\" with boa\'s they are out in the wild and are beeing killed
they are not from aruba but they are reprodusing like crazy i need someone
that can help me to stop the slaugther of these boa\'s.there are some people
that have them as pets and there is where it all started the boa got to big
to handle and they release them .now the park rangers have the right to kill
them ,they say that the boa\'s are killing our founa.please help these poor
boas they are beeing killed ..</BLOCKQUOTE></FONT></TD></TR><TR><TD><HR></TD></TR></TABLE>

Sooo... Any ideas in relation to this matter ??
[img]modules/Forum/images/smiles/icon_confused.gif[/img]

I know I have my thoughts on what is being done..UGH..BUT that is NOT going to change things. What is needed is some "actual" input in relation to "attending" the matter from both perspectives actually...
1. The slaughtering of the boas
2. The loss of fauna in Aruba that the Boas presence is causing there.

Soo.. What do you RTB'ers have for ideas in the addressing of the matter ???? [img]modules/Forum/images/smiles/icon_eek.gif[/img]
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thomasito · #2 (**permalink**) 09-23-2002, 08:47 PM

yes ..hello...
I'm from Curaçao(sister island of Aruba)....
my idea would be to catch them and send them back from where they came ..>and I'm sure all of them are from Venezuela... cuz all the boa's here are from Venezuela. i have the only Surinam BCC on the island....and as far as I know ..the only one on the ABC-islands (Aruba,Bonaire,Curaçao) or you can send them all 2 me ..I will take care of them all ...if ya want 2.

But why kill them if they can be pets for other poeple??
its just not right .

my best bet is to send them all back to venezuela....
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slaponte · #3 (**permalink**) 09-23-2002, 08:55 PM

This reminds me of that show "the skinny guy", whats his name did on the snakes in the islands around Thailand was it? that are eating all the local birds etc? How they check the airport cargo etc to try to keep them from it, etc.

Unfortunately, Venezuela might not want them back. If they have their own and not endangered there, which I think they aren't.

A relocation program could work, depending on how extensive is the "infestation". That would be fun, I would go! Couple of weeks in Aruba catching snakes to relocate. Cool! Great vacation...

Comon, Lori, lets organize the first ever International Boa Rescue. We can collect funds, go down there, catch some snakes... [img]modules/Forum/images/smiles/icon_smile.gif[/img] [img]modules/Forum/images/smiles/icon_smile.gif[/img]

In the meantime the locals might not have another choice. A small island's ecosystem is very fragile. Is possible the introduced species has no enemies there. They could easyly obliterate local fauna.
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Dragon · #4 (**permalink**) 09-23-2002, 09:00 PM

Am I right in assuming that it's a government body doing the slaughtering? If so, then you can forget about shipping them back or any other such luck. What we're looking at here, unfortunate as it may be, is pest control.

When Rabbits were introduced to England, did we decide we didn't want them and send them back? No, we kill them on sight. Grey squirrels? Same treatment.

Hopefully somebody can invoke legislation that denies the killing of endangered species, otherwise there is probably nothing that can be done. The way I see it, somebody is carrying out pest-control of a non-native species, something that every country on earth has probably been guilty of at one time or another, if indeed not right now.

Our best and probably only hope is to petition the Government of the Country involved to collect the animals and ship them back to where they belong. Better yet, volunteer a group of herpetologists (i.e. us lot) to go out there and perform some kind of rescue operation, if they allow it. Otherwise, there is probably nothing we can do about it.

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EmErAlDsLoVeR · #5 (**permalink**) 09-23-2002, 09:13 PM

wel acually we cant do annything about that.
because it is the republic of aruba that gets to decide.
we as in curacao is not a part of aruba annymore.
but there are some things we can do.
1:we can go to aruba and protest(i cant i am too young to protest)
2:we can go there and catch a few and let the republic see that they are not really a tret.
there is one thing i want to do and that is get them from aruba because it is not far from here and let them breed on curacao and if the republic of curacao thinks they are not a big tret maybe aruba wil change theire minds.
read this good and think it out. [img]modules/Forum/images/smiles/icon_wink.gif[/img]
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najaboy · #6 (**permalink**) 09-23-2002, 09:22 PM

I see nothing wrong with culling them. They are an introduced species, and are having a detrimental effect on native fauna. If no action is taken, we're looking at the extinction of the Aruba Island rattlesnake, in addition to various non-herps, in the near future.

For those who have a problem with culling the boas, I'm curious as to how you feel about feral cats and pigs, which are hunting many snake species to extinction? Or how you fel about brown tree snakes extirpating various bird species on Guam?

Relocation to the mainland isn't a realistic option. Firstly, there's not enough resources to provide for such a population explosion. Second, we have the problem of introducing animals of dubious genetic backgrounds into the gene pool. From a wildlife management view, both of these are unacceptable.

Instead of looking at this emotively, look at it logically. Realistically, culling is the best available option. It's either that, or say goodbye to a few other species.
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CheesenJamButty · #7 (**permalink**) 09-23-2002, 09:46 PM

If they cull/kill them, that's very unfortunate but...

There's the effect on the local fauna. They shouldnt be there. If the question was "local snakes being killed by imported rats" there'd be no arguing here.

If they were moved elsewhere what diseases might they introduce to the new area?

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telefrag · #8 (**permalink**) 09-23-2002, 10:14 PM

Yes, if they are relocated to a different island/location, it is possible for them to introduce a foreign parasite, or organism to the existing population,

And Naja has a great point, Crotalus unicolor (aruba is. rattlysnake) is one of the most endangered ANIMALS (not just snake) on the planet, and if an introduced population of boas is keeping them from getting to their native food supply, or contributing to their further decline, then its an ugly truth that there is only one real effective thing to do, and that is population
There are only so many people that can take them in as pets, and im sure after this, they wont allow boas, or many other species of snakes on that island as pets.

Its a shame that it comes to this, but there really is no other option.
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thomasito · #9 (**permalink**) 09-23-2002, 10:38 PM

>>wel acually we cant do annything about that.
>>because it is the republic of aruba that gets to decide.
>>we as in curacao is not a part of aruba annymore.
>>but there are some things we can do.
>>1:we can go to aruba and protest(i cant i am too young to protest)

---------------yes we can do that ..don't think it will help...

>>2:we can go there and catch a few and let the republic see that they are not really a tret.

-------------thats the problem THEY ARE A TREAT!!

>>there is one thing i want to do and that is get them from aruba because it is not far from here and let them breed on curacao and if the republic of curacao thinks they are not a big tret maybe aruba wil change theire minds.
--------------OFCOURCE NOT!!!They won't change there minds... its killing there allready endangered species!...

if its OK lori ..if you want to do an INT'l snake rescue ..I would be the first one there

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JC86 · #10 (**permalink**) 09-23-2002, 11:02 PM

If they really are hurting the fauna then I say dispose of them by whatever means neccessary. We don't live there, it doesn't affect us or any endangered species native to the island, so just let it go heh. [img]modules/Forum/images/smiles/icon_smile.gif[/img]

sun echo,
Scott
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bensnacks · #11 (**permalink**) 09-24-2002, 12:24 AM

I totally agree with Naja here.

The only other, ( and probably unfeasible ) option would be to
round them up for the pet trade and ship them off the Island.

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thomasito · #12 (**permalink**) 09-24-2002, 01:32 AM

Thats true...
Or MAYBE we can round them up....ship em all to me ...I have my contacts... and by no TIME they are all smuggled back to Venezuela! [img]modules/Forum/images/smiles/icon_biggrin.gif[/img] [img]modules/Forum/images/smiles/icon_cool.gif[/img] by the end of this year! [img]modules/Forum/images/smiles/icon_biggrin.gif[/img]
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CheesenJamButty · #13 (**permalink**) 09-24-2002, 08:53 PM

I thought about a mass descent onto the island by redtailed boa tshirted hippies. Took 5 mins to stop shuddering...

How would they organize the cull? It's unlikely they'd send out teams of trained hunters, they're more likely to put a bounty on the head/skin of each snake. local farmers and inhabitants may do the gathering.
If that's so then it would be very difficult for a team to operate effectively unless we could offer a higher bounty for live specimens.
Who could afford that sort of cash?
Dont we have and famous/rich members willing to sponsor a rescue? For flights etc it probs would only cost a few 10s of 1000s
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eddie · #14 (**permalink**) 09-24-2002, 09:02 PM

I blew my millions on a bad snake habit....
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yeto · #15 (**permalink**) 09-24-2002, 09:03 PM

for the aruba goverment...it easier to kill them up that making efforts to collect them and start doing legal....things (forget my english [img]modules/Forum/images/smiles/icon_lol.gif[/img] ) with venezuela in order to bring them here (venezuela) and that would take time and effort to the aruba goverment so...its hard to find a way to save those boas....at least that we do the job bt ourselves
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EmErAlDsLoVeR · #16 (**permalink**) 09-24-2002, 09:58 PM

look i do acually agree with naja but we can also get some rattle snakes witch is hard but worth a try and breed them.
i know it is really hard but it is worth a try.
it is worthit for the saving of a species. [img]modules/Forum/images/smiles/icon_confused.gif[/img]
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eddie · #17 (**permalink**) 09-24-2002, 10:06 PM

<TABLE BORDER=0 ALIGN=CENTER WIDTH=85%><TR><TD><font class="pn-sub">Quote:</font><HR></TD></TR><TR><TD><FONT class="pn-sub"><BLOCKQUOTE> it is worthit for the saving of a species </BLOCKQUOTE></FONT></TD></TR><TR><TD><HR></TD></TR></TABLE>

For saving the native species, it's cheaper to get rid of the invaders and let nature replinish the rattlers.
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telefrag · #18 (**permalink**) 09-24-2002, 10:29 PM

well,
I wouldnt count on getting off the Island with a C.unicolor, they are not that easy to find, and most of their habitat is now gone, but there are relict populations, I have heard their total numbers in the wild are in the low to mid 100's, but I dont know how accurate that is.

Best bet is to leave the rattlesnakes alone, and take care of non native species sharing their habitat.
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morti · #19 (**permalink**) 09-24-2002, 11:30 PM

<TABLE BORDER=0 ALIGN=CENTER WIDTH=85%><TR><TD><font class="pn-sub">Quote:</font><HR></TD></TR><TR><TD><FONT class="pn-sub"><BLOCKQUOTE> I thought about a mass descent onto the island by redtailed boa tshirted hippies. Took 5 mins to stop shuddering... </BLOCKQUOTE></FONT></TD></TR><TR><TD><HR></TD></TR></TABLE>

I agree wholeheartedly, but this might just be a cause that people like Steve Irwin, Jeff Corwin, or Mark O'Shea could get involved in. Sounds right up their alleys... Collecting a bunch of boas from the wild, saving a native eco system, getting great photo-opps and TV time, a small chance to see a C. Unicolor on film... I am just going to have to try and pull out my contact list again and see what is said about that.

In the interim, those of you who live on or near Aruba could get the contact info for the government branch that is working on the cullings and find out some more of the details for us. If they are working on a capture/kill program already, I would think that a capture/remove from the country program will work just as well.

Just a couple of thoughts in passing.
-Morti.
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morti · #20 (**permalink**) 09-25-2002, 01:13 AM

I really need the person who sent this e-mail to contact me directly! Time is of the essence... the sooner, the better!

morti@redtailboa.net
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