Hi all,
I have been reading this thread daily from day 1.
I have sat on the fence for most of this, reading, learning, and wondering where I stand on this issue.
The Hybrids we have seen are justifiably beautiful animals as well as the pure forms including line breeding.
I always look at both sides of an argument and try to be open to all people’s comments, before I make a judgment or decision.
As far as line breeding goes this is all well and good providing no disease or unacceptable traits (e.g. health issues/ genetic issues) are continued and I am sure many people bring in an animal from time to time to provide a mix to the bloodlines providing they are from the same subspecies or locality.
Unfortunately a hybrid of subspecies or in particular species is a mongrel or muddy as others have put it unless it has occurred naturally in the wild. This is the FACT.
Saying all this I believe it comes down to 1 thing. And this is the character of the person who is breeding these animals.
I would like to draw a similarity to being an Australian, and I will try and explain this best I can in the time I have.
As an Australian I am proud, ozzie ozzie ozzie, oh, oh oh. We are culturally different and I am sure most of you are extremely proud and get goose bumps from time to time when the Aussie anthem is played or if you are overseas and Here I come from a land downunder song comes on and you sing it out aloud and proud.
When it comes to flora and fauna we are unique. We have so many organizations in this country trying to protect wilderness areas we deserve to be protected, i.e. Steve Irwin foundation buying huge chunks of land and protecting it, Animal carers helping bushfire koalas or kangaroos etc, green peace trying to do the global thing, climate change organisations, cleanup Australia day, coral reefs dying, whales being slaughtered by the Japanese, the Amazon or Asian rainforests burning, the poor orangutans loosing their forests, frog species declining at rapid rates, protection of the great white shark, highland gorillas and the list goes on. And what do we normally see. The hard work by others trying to protect this, trying to say to others enough is enough we must protect this. Well this week I heard the highland gorillas have had a bumper year and conceived many babies, how many years and hard work has this been to see an increase of really, just a couple of handfuls.
Well what are they trying to protect? The future for us, our children and our children’s children and so on. Shouldn’t this be the same for our natural Australian wildlife?
I believe it comes down to us, yes you, me, and the person next to you or the bloke on APS you chat with from time to time. We have the responsibility to protect our country’s beliefs.
This leaves us with what do we want to protect in respect to our reptiles in Australia?
I believe we need to respect what is here and protect it. And this includes protecting it from hybridization unless it occurs naturally in the wild. And I don’t want to hear the same old rubbish of, oh they are in captivity. No chance of being in the wild, or how do people loose a python.
I am sure if you all dig deep to what is right for the future, then you would honestly have to say it is, keep it clean as possible as nature intended. Thus bringing us back to the character of the person who is breeding the animal.
In reflecting upon this, I suppose you need to view what the government (the people we have appointed to protect and govern what we want and expect). Obviously it’s the relevant Wildlife department in your state and/or federal department. We pay licenses for. What? Mainly the import/export or transferring of native animals from or within your state and protection from illegal exports or imports. Why do they license to protect this? To prevent disease and the introduction of pests, which will destroy our natives.
Well throw me down and beat me with a stick because that is exactly what hybridization is. The introduction of species or new subspecies in OUR country. (trying to be patriotic with OUR ) Do the majority of Australians want this? No. Then why is the B.L.O.O.D.Y relevant government department not doing something about this NOW.
You know why? Because we as a community, are sitting back just going with the flow, it will be ok, that is the norm.
Well let me say this. If there was ever a time for all of us to make a stand and say No to this it is NOW. Not in two or five year’s time, by then it will be too big and too many mud bloods out there to stop it.
If the government departments crack down on this NOW, there is a chance that the majority of our country’s population has its say on where it wants its native animal population to be, whether in captivity or not.
What we need is for the Herp societies and all other people, including you, me, and those who have been in the industry for many years and in particular a person to stand up and be the spokesperson for the cause. Unless we are heard as a community in mass, it will continue to next year and the year after, and by then unfortunately it will be too late, and we will stand here and say,
Why wasn’t something more done?
In 7 days since this thread has been started there has been 472 posts and an amazing 19238 views
To the Moderators please do not delete this thread as we live in a country that prides itself on free speech and the ability to debate such an issue.
People who want to contact me and move forward on this, please do so as I believe there is an overwhelming majority and chance to do something now.
