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| -Short Attention Span Theater- |
| Pastor among suspects in illegal snake bust |
| 2008-07-12 |
| The pastor of a Kentucky church that handles snakes in religious rites was among 10 people arrested by wildlife officers in a crackdown on the venomous snake trade. More than 100 snakes, many of them deadly, were confiscated in the undercover sting after Thursday's arrests, said Col. Bob Milligan, director of law enforcement for Kentucky Fish and Wildlife. Most were taken from the Middlesboro home of Gregory James Coots, including 42 copperheads, 11 timber rattlesnakes, three cottonmouth water moccasins, a western diamondback rattlesnake, two cobras and a puff adder. Handling snakes is practiced in a handful of fundamentalist churches across Appalachia, based on the interpretation of Bible verses saying true believers can take up serpents without being harmed. The practice is illegal in most states, including Kentucky. Coots, 36, is pastor of the Full Gospel Tabernacle in Jesus Name in Middlesboro, where a Tennessee woman died after being bitten by a rattlesnake during a service in 1995. Her husband died three years later when he was bitten by a snake in northeastern Alabama. Coots was charged Thursday with buying, selling and possessing illegal reptiles. He had no listed telephone number and couldn't be reached for comment. There was no phone listing for the church. "It is disturbing to me that individuals would keep such dangerous wildlife in their homes and in neighborhoods where they put their families, visitors and neighbors at such high risk," Milligan said. The snakes, plus one alligator, were turned over to the nonprofit Kentucky Reptile Zoo in Slade. Most appeared to have been captured from the wild, with some imported from Asia and Africa. Zoo Director Jim Harrison said some of the animals would likely have become exotic pets had they not been seized. "There's been a large trade in exotics for years," he said. "Some people are just fascinated with them." Undercover officers purchased more than 200 illegal reptiles during the investigation, some of which were advertised for sale on Web sites. One such Web site lists copperheads for $50 each and cobras for $450. "You can purchase anything off the Internet except common sense," Harrison said. "A venomous snake isn't a pet. You don't play with it. If you do, you're an idiot." |
| Posted by:Anonymoose |
| #11 Deacon, loved your story. lmao ;) |
| Posted by: Jan from work 2008-07-12 22:14 |
| #10 Snake handling has always been a scam. They force the reptiles to inhale heavy smoke before they are handled, thus leaving them lethargic while they detoxify. Still backwoods types are often bitten by the creatures. They get no sympathy from me. I'll bet the Puff Adder is strictly for show. They are one of the most dangerous beasts on earth. Only a moron would risk passing them to another yahoo. |
| Posted by: McZoid 2008-07-12 21:22 |
| #9 In the early 1900's a Germany speaking preacher came from Kentucky to a Lutheran Church in Alma Nebraska. The people respected him and his family. Come spring it was time for the people to pitch in and do a spring cleaning on the church. Well, the altar rattled...rattled pretty bad... After a quick peek inside they had an impromptu Church meeting. They TARED AND FEATHERED the Pastor and tied him in that state to the cow catcher of the next train out of town! Turned out the wife and kids were scared to death of him. They gave them title to the parsonage. It ended well! |
| Posted by: 3dc 2008-07-12 17:08 |
| #8 Way back when I was 9 or 10 a Traveling Tent Revival came to town. Turned out they were snake handlers. Me and 2 other guys wanted to see the snakes so we snuck out behind the tent and opened the cooler the snakes were in. There were snakes there all right but they were on ice so when the "Preacher" took out a snake it was cold and very lethargic. One of the guys ran home and came back with some turpemtine and poured it on the snakes. Boy-howdy were they pissed. Later on in the service when the Preacher reached in and got a snake it was still mad and bit him. Thank the Lord nobody ever found out who put the turpentine on the snakes. The Revival packed up and left the next morning. |
| Posted by: Deacon Blues 2008-07-12 16:20 |
| #7 I truly believe they should leave these people alone. There's an enormous "illegal" problem in this nation and it ain't snakes... |
| Posted by: borgboy 2008-07-12 15:42 |
| #6 Let 'em have all the copperheads, rattlers and water moccasins they want. But puff adders and cobras are non-native species and it would be very bad news if they got loose. |
| Posted by: Abu Uluque6305 2008-07-12 12:08 |
| #5 There's good money in snake busts. Grab the beasts, then sell them off to licensed collectors for tens of thousands. The ASPCA is big into this racket too. If you bust pot growers you can't sell the siezed property. |
| Posted by: Iblis 2008-07-12 11:37 |
| #4 They've been pissing their pants over these idiots for a couple of years now. Personally, I think the problem would have taken care of itself. I can't believe that Kentucky's law enforcement community doesn't have more pressing issues to deal with (pot growing all through the hills). Picking the low lying fruit first I guess. |
| Posted by: bigjim-ky 2008-07-12 11:05 |
| #3 "There's been a large trade in exotics for years," he said. "Some people are just fascinated with them." Yes indeed. The current presidential election has certainly proven this to be true. |
| Posted by: Besoeker 2008-07-12 10:06 |
| #2 Handling snakes is practiced in a handful of fundamentalist churches across Appalachia, based on the interpretation of Bible verses saying true believers can take up serpents without being harmed. The practice is illegal in most states, including Kentucky. I don't know why it's illegal. It has a certain Darwinian appeal to me. |
| Posted by: Nimble Spemble 2008-07-12 07:41 |
| #1 The Pastor's the one working the Puff Adder, trust me on this. |
| Posted by: .5MT 2008-07-12 07:12 |