Police find 53 poisonous snakes in man's home

[matcom]

<snip>

CANTON TOWNSHIP - Police discovered a deadly batch of 53 poisonous snakes in a home Sunday after their owner was bitten by one of them.

The 51-year-old owner of the snakes was in stable condition Sunday night at Detroit Receiving Hospital.

Canton Police Sgt. Rick Pomorski said keeping such snakes is not only against the law but also is dangerous to the public and the owner, who lived alone in the 2-year-old home near Sheldon and Palmer.

"Canton police view possession of venomous snakes as a serious public safety concern and will prosecute the owner to the fullest extent of the law," he said.

The incident began shortly before 9 p.m. Saturday in the home in the 3900 block of Brighton, when the 9-foot Bushmaster, which is native to rainforests of Central and South America, bit its owner while he was attempting to clean its cage.

He told police he put the snake into its cage and was driving to his daughter's house to help him to get medical treatment when he lost control of his vehicle and went into a ditch.

When he told officers he had been bitten by a Bushmaster, they rushed him to St. Mary's Hospital in Livonia and contacted the Detroit Zoo for an anidote, police said. He later was transferred to Detroit Receiving Hospital.

He told hospital officials about the other snakes and they notified police, said Canton Sgt. David Schreiner.

Schreiner said officers and a Detroit Zoo staffer Sunday went to the man's home and retrieved the caged Bushmaster, which was taken to the zoo. The other 52 snakes and four spiders found in the home were left in their cages because the zoo official did not have the means or equipment to transport them.

http://www.detnews.com/2004/metro/0412/06/metro-25366.htm

[sniffa]

1. then we'LL hug and kiss some poisonous snakes!

now that's sarcasm