Dr Gavin Smith from the Canberra Snake Tracking Project says his work is not sustainable. Photo: ACT Wildlife, Facebook.
Dr Gavin Smith works full-time. And he’s a father of two small children, with all the commitments they require (at all hours). But between September and April every year, there’s a lot of time he’s not at home. He’s out on the road.
“I drive around the city constantly, collecting highly venomous snakes from people’s houses and gardens, workplaces, public places, schools, hospitals, etcetera,” Dr Smith says.
He’s an associate professor at the ANU College of Arts and Social Sciences, but he’s also the face behind the ‘Canberra Snake Tracking Project’, and one of only three people in the ACT licensed to deal with all of our venomous snake species.
So far this snake season, he has already received more than 200 call-outs.
It’s a largely unpaid gig, apart from a small service fee to cover his overheads and the occasional donation from ACT Wildlife, but he says this needs to change if the service is to continue.
“It’s not possible to do this, to work these two jobs simultaneously full time,” he says.
“I’m afraid people like me will no longer exist, and when a school calls and says, ‘Hey Gavin, we’ve got an eastern brown snake inside a classroom. Can you come and get it, please?’ there won’t be anyone at the end of the phone.”
Sponsored by ACT Labor backbencher Dr Marisa Paterson, Dr Smith has launched a petition calling for a “review of the ACT’s snake licencing arrangement and the resourcing of snake catching and education services”.
Essentially, snake removal and handling would become “salaried as a contracted public service”. These handlers could also “register ownership of venomous snakes for education and training purposes”.
It has precedent. Snake-catching has been adopted as a public service in the Northern Territory, while other jurisdictions (like NSW and Victoria) allow people to handle and keep venomous snakes, albeit under very strict conditions.
The petition, which currently has nearly 500 signatures, also has the support of the people.
“A recent survey of 1176 ACT and surrounds residents found that 40 per cent have a fear of snakes, 90 per cent thought snakes play an important role in the environment, and 91 per cent felt that snake catching and safety education … should be a public, not private, service.”
Sponsoring MLA Dr Paterson says the ACT should look to “existing frameworks and practices already in operation around the country” and develop stringent regulations that require “demonstratable competencies in handling and husbandry that are verified by experts in the field”.
“The situation in the ACT is untenable,” she says.
“As a community, we strongly value the various work that Canberra’s snake catchers and educators perform, and it’s time that our laws reflected best practices in the welfare, care, and protection of snakes – which they currently do not.”
As an organisation that frequently receives calls for help from members of the public and has to refer them on to these overstretched services, ACT Wildlife has voiced its support too.
“It’s an incredibly stressful situation for our volunteers who are talking to someone on the phone who’s desperate and who’s got no money, and we have to refer them and say, ‘Look, I’m sorry, there might be a fee’,” president Yana del Valle says.
“What happens is it encourages people to kill snakes rather than pay the fee to get them removed. It’s easier to just get a shovel.”
One of Gavin Smith’s finds this season – an eastern brown snake caught between a glass door and fly screen. Photo: Jacob Filiatrault.
However, the ACT Government says adjusting legislation to allow people to keep venomous snakes “poses a significant challenge”.
“The ACT Government received advice … that changes to current regulation would pose significant animal welfare risks that could not be overlooked,” Minister for the Environment, Parks and Land Management Rebecca Vassarotti said.
“Ms Paterson’s suggested alterations would permit snakes to be owned indefinitely – removing them from their natural environment and making them endure prolonged periods of isolation … I cannot in good conscience support this proposal.”
Ms Vassarotti says the government would continue engaging with snake handlers to “ascertain the most humane and pragmatic approach to snake care in the ACT”.
The petition closes on 16 March.
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