Without crossing the line into lovely libel-land, we will try to describe this person from Serres who, by the sheer power of his personality, intends to save the Greek nation from its dangerous snake problem. While a St. Patrick he ain’t, this charismatic loudy knows everything and is more than eager to share his vast knowledge with whomever has the temerity to listen. But don’t try to walk away. In his first video he describes for you a previous hunt for harmful vipers where he allowed his Rottweiler (Rottweiler?) to kill a grass snake. For our education our crusader holds the dead snake (really harmless at this point) with tongs and describes it as a dangerous “viper”. He uses his English on this video. Why? To save tourists from certain death. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DomdO93uuJE
The second video he describes in Greek how he and his axe killed another harmless snake in the courtyard of his house. Still visibly excited he tells us how the (injured) snake coiled, hissed and lunged at its attacker (normal behavior for any injured snake). http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pnnZcg-AtCg Little does our savior know that his activities are illegal under Greek law and he may face prosecution if an Animal Protection Agency goes forward with a complaint.
The law cited in part says this: a. Subject specific case under the existing EU and national legislation and the provision of the third sentence of paragraph 4 of Article 9 prohibits torture, abuse, poor and ill-treatment of any kind of animal, and any act of violence against it, including poisoning, hanging, drowning, burning, crushing and mutilation. The sterilization of the animal and any veterinary practice for therapeutic purposes is not considered mutilation. The link to the Greek law is here (scroll down for English).
To see the snakes our modern day Hercules has hewn see these links http://www.herpetofauna.gr/index.php?module=cats&page=read&id=171&sid=142 http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Grass_snake http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Caspian_whipsnake
Live and let live. Even poisonous snakes are useful as they eat rats. It is easy to avoid snakes by being careful where you step.
Unfortunately this is what people who care about animal welfare are up against. It is hard to tell where this guy gets his information – maybe most is simply a product of his addled imagination – or maybe this is what he has “learned” via his environment. Unfortunately many of us will not or do not look into the overall outcome of our actions.
That he has learned that all snakes are bad is not a good thing but unfortunately his determination to “kill them all” had deeper roots in his own psyche of needing to dominate “something”. (let’s say)
It’s not unusual, as my Welsh friend Mr. Jones would warble.
Careful with that axe, Eugene…
With John Belushi ?
Maybe the now numerous animal welfare organisations on Skopelos should make a complaint.
Paul Gambaccini now lives in Serres?