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Man's deadly pet rattler seized - carefully -
from aquarium:[DAILY Edition] |
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Author(s): |
The
Canadian Press |
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Dateline: |
ST. JOHN'S, Nfld. |
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Section: |
NEWS |
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Publication
title: |
Daily
News. Halifax, N.S.: May 25, 2003. pg. 11 |
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Source
Type: |
Newspaper |
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ISSN/ISBN: |
07154321 |
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ProQuest
document ID: |
342352121 |
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Text
Word Count |
300 |
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Article
URL: |
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Abstract (Article Summary) |
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The man told
the officers he'd found the snake in Ontario when it was a baby seven years
ago. He later brought it to Newfoundland and raised it as a pet, said the
officers. Officers
waited for an antidote to the snake's venom to be flown in from Ontario
before they and provincial officers swooped down on the residence in St.
John's, Nfld., with a search warrant. [Les Sampson]
said the snake will be returned to the wilds of Ontario if it's deemed to be
healthy, or it may wind up as a resident of the Toronto zoo. |
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Full Text (300 words) |
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(Copyright The Halifax Daily News 2003) ST. JOHN'S,
Nfld. - Charges are pending against a Newfoundland man after federal game
officers seized a venomous rattlesnake from his home Friday. The man told
the officers he'd found the snake in Ontario when it was a baby seven years
ago. He later brought it to Newfoundland and raised it as a pet, said the
officers. The snake, an
eastern massasauga, is considered threatened in Ontario and throughout much
of their range. Officers
waited for an antidote to the snake's venom to be flown in from Ontario before
they and provincial officers swooped down on the residence in St. John's,
Nfld., with a search warrant. They
confiscated the snake without any resistance. Les Sampson, a
federal game officer from Nova Scotia, said there's no antidote in
Newfoundland, which has no poisonous snakes. "That
snake has 35 milligrams of venom, and to be fatal, you need 25
milligrams," he said. "It's fortunate that nothing bad
happened." Sampson said a
person would probably die six hours after receiving a bite from the
rattlesnake unless treated with the antidote. The owner's
name wasn't released. It was not reported it the snake had a name. The
officers said the man will be charged with importing the wild snake into the
province, which is prohibited under federal law. If convicted,
he could face fines of up to $25,000, said Guy Lafranchise of the the
Canadian Wildlife Service. The animal was
confiscated after a three-month investigation that started after the office
got a tip from a local person. The man kept
the snake in a large aquarium, which the officers said was a suitable home. Sampson said
the snake will be returned to the wilds of Ontario if it's deemed to be
healthy, or it may wind up as a resident of the Toronto zoo. |