I saw Mr. Marven (for the first time for me, that I recall) on a rerun (I believe it was) one day last week (the week beginning with August 31st, 2009) on Conan O'Brien's "Tonight Show". Having grown up with snakes since my uncle raised them and hatched them successfully in captivity for years for zoos in the mid-west, I was familiar and amazed at the size of the reticulated python that Mr. Marven brought out for Mr. O'Brien and his audience. I have seen and handled retics and Burmese and even one large Anaconda, the largest of which was a Burmese that was eighteen-feet long and weighed about 350 pounds; with a 33" girth at its widest belly. She was a great and well-loved animal for her significantly long life; she was a part of the family the way a dog or a cat is although she did not roam free unsupervised.
My question is this: If Mr. Marven has worked with these reptiles for any length of time, and it appears from his bio info, that he has, then I wonder at the way he handled the reticulated python, the African bullfrog, and the albino python, and is he aware of how it appears to some of us who may know these animals and that they deserve care, respect, and to not be held three feet from their heads and left to flail about—dangerously one might even say to not just the host of the show, or Mr.Marven himself, but also to the snake? Also, why not give any information about them at all—or is it more about spectacle than informing anyone about the wonders of these animals? I was really upset by it, and a week later, find that I feel compelled to write and say so, and since I could not find an e-mail address to write to, am writing publicly here.
Any response is welcome; let me know if I am way off here... I would be glad to hear it.
Respectfully,
Alison H.F.