More about the DNR later.  THIS story is actually about snakes.

MUNDUBBERA, AUS [ Story: DailyMail.co.uk ] 15 year old Ryan Cole was bitten by the world’s third most deadly snake, and lived.  The snake is the “coastal taipan” which makes me wonder how I’ve lived on this planet for 45 29 years  and never heard of the world’s third most deadly snake.

Here’s another fascinating aspect of this story:  he’s been bitten by a poisonous snake before.  Ryan’s apparently one of those kids who has to be told everything twice, but now that he’s experienced convulsing, vomiting up blood, and being bathed in the warm glow of the light at the end of the dark tunnel (Steve Irwin, I imagine, would meet him at the gate) he swears he’s going to be more careful.

That is, he says he’ll be more careful “…when I go into the bush in the future.”  Okay, maybe he HASN’T learned his lesson.

I can’t be TOO hard on the kid.   His snakes are indigenous.  Every year, you and I cut a check to the Wisconsin DNR to pepper OUR woodlands with imported deadly snakes.  Yeah, they do it on purpose.  And no, I don’t pretend to understand why.

My concern is that one of our DNR agents will hear about this “coastal taipan” and want to start spreading them around our forests like Johnny Rattleseed.

Odds are good that our 15 year old hikers won’t all be so lucky…

Ladies, if you fear the DNR more than snakes,
please click whatever ad shows up here–>
(If not, please click twice.)

Thanks for helping to support the Daily Scoff!