Mission Statement
The North Carolina Association of Reptile Keepers (NCARK) promotes private ownership of reptiles, the establishment of responsible statewide husbandry standards, educating the public, and conservation through captive breeding projects. We advocate a code of ethics, high standards for care, and strict safety protocols. We endorse training and mentoring to elevate keeper skills. Providing resources for locating veterinarians, rescue/rehabilitation centers, and antivenin is our social responsibility. We sponsor community outreach programs to break down barriers of misunderstanding and educate the public as well as the legislature about how these animals can enrich the quality of life in this state. Rapid habitat destruction threatens many reptiles here in North Carolina and around the world. We can show how conservation through captive breeding is part of the solution to this problem. Our overall strategy is to aid North Carolina in elevating the level of responsibility and sophistication at which our keepers are working, while educating the public to the facts surrounding these misrepresented animals.
Position Statement
There are some academics that see themselves as the only ones qualified to keep many of the reptiles we at NCARK work with routinely. They argue that these animals are dangerous, difficult to maintain, and pose a threat to the general public. In reality, the husbandry requirements for reptiles are much less demanding than those for dogs, cattle or horses. Reptiles also have a much better track record as far as public safety. Many more people get hurt or killed by dogs in the State of North Carolina every year, than all the captive reptiles combined in the history of the state. This fact is confirmed by a recent report written by the North Carolina Department of Health & Human Services. Cattle and horses are by far the most dangerous animals according to the same report. There is only one confirmed fatality from a reptile in the state. Recently a man under the influence of alcohol was handling a wild caught Timber Rattlesnake in the back lot of a NASCAR race where he was envenomated and died as a result. Cattle and horses have killed dozens of people in North Carolina and no one is trying to ban them from private ownership. Most reptiles are easy to care for and are no significant public safety risk, therefore, a responsible keeper should be able to keep and breed the animals he/she has come to know and love. We will challenge any attempt by bureaucrats and/or academic elites to monopolize work with reptiles by stating that the citizens of North Carolina are unqualified to work with these animals. The level of expertise at NCARK equals or surpasses that of the state and its’ academic affiliates. We have a larger more diverse pool of talent and experience to draw from.
There are others that are ideologically opposed to the ownership of any animals. They think that everyone should be a vegetarian as a matter of law. They believe it is wrong to farm livestock for food. They are against hunting, fishing and trapping. They want all use of animals and animal products to be made illegal. They are even against people keeping animals as pets. These ideologues are well organized and funded at a national level. They have made inroads with the legislatures of many states. Their template for political action begins with an animal related tragedy. They will exploit the visceral emotion and fear generated by media coverage to manipulate affected legislators into sponsoring a bill that was written by the Animal Protection Institute (API) and modified by People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals (PETA). NC Bill 1032 is a variation on this bill. This legislation is a seriously flawed blanket ban on many animals. These activists know that they can’t stop people from farming livestock, hunting, fishing, or keeping traditional pets, so they go after animals that aren’t so widely accepted within our culture. They shy away from the facts and capitalize on longstanding stereotypes, cultural bias, and fear. They don’t believe private individuals should have the right to work with any animals and they are not above using extreme measures to frighten people into accepting their positions. These extremists advocate euthanasia of perfectly healthy animals as long as it means keeping them out of private hands.
We believe that it is part of our constitutional right to life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness to keep and breed reptiles. It is our life’s passion, and for some, our livelihood. It is a huge responsibility to keep or breed an animal in captivity. A responsibility we are committed to. Our Code of Ethics guides all of our decisions and actions. We have created standards for the caging, husbandry, and security of our animals that equal or surpass the standards of most zoos. We enforce strict safety protocols to protect the health of our keepers and the public. We maintain ready access to the finest emergency medical care, vets, rehabilitators and private sources of antivenin. Because we are so committed to the right to keep these animals, we feel it is our obligation to police ourselves. Individuals involved in unsound practices, abuse, or any danger to the public will quickly be reported to the proper authorities. There are laws on the books to stop anyone that can be shown to be creating a dangerous or abusive situation. With rights come responsibilities. We take our responsibilities seriously.
NCARK has been appointed to an advisory panel that would make suggestions to the state legislature for fair and reasonable animal legislation in North Carolina. We want to work with the state and their agents to improve and enhance a positive experience with these magnificent animals. We are not inflexible, but we will not be intimidated by inflammatory rhetoric. So-called “expert” opinion or “potential dangers” that cannot be supported by facts in evidence will be exposed as propaganda. We support science by a preponderance of the evidence. Our Code of Ethics, Husbandry Standards and Safety Protocols will provide a powerful model and work as an invaluable tool to insure responsible private ownership throughout North Carolina. We can provide training and mentoring programs, as well as care sheets and other valuable resources across the state. We can also provide training and or services for North Carolina Wildlife Resources Commission (WRC) and North Carolina Department of Environmental & Natural Resources (DENR) personnel. A positive working relationship with the state is integral to the future of private ownership in North Carolina.
Community outreach must be an ongoing dynamic effort. Together with many other conservation and education oriented groups around North Carolina, we work to dispel common myths surrounding these animals. Educating people to the facts and encouraging positive interaction with these fascinating creatures will reveal their important role in the world and enrich our lives in the process. Rapid habitat destruction threatens these animals in North Carolina and worldwide. Some animals may not survive outside of captive breeding projects. Here in North Carolina there are laws limiting the role of individuals to conserve these animals while the primary problem of habitat destruction is hardly addressed at all. This is a fundamental misunderstanding of the problem. You can’t effectively protect these animals in the wild without protecting their natural habitat. Unless the issue of habitat destruction is addressed, the future of these animals will be exclusively in the realm of captive breeding programs. State zoos, with their cumbersome bureaucracies, conflicts of interest, and limited budgets, cannot possibly work with all of the species at risk. That is why it does not make sense to keep the unlimited resources marshaled by numerous private interests from being directly involved in the conservation of these animals.
Our vision of the future is one in which NCARK works to provide a valuable service to the State of North Carolina. We are willing to work in close cooperation with DENR and WRC to ensure high standards of care within a safe, secure environment. These animals deserve the best conditions to live and breed. It is our responsibility to the State of North Carolina and its citizens to carry this off in a manner that puts keeper and public safety as top priorities. The state will not be able to accomplish this task on its own. The citizens of North Carolina will never authorize the funds necessary to effectively and fairly regulate, what is in reality, a matter of personal responsibility. Personal responsibility is not something that can or should be legislated, but rather encouraged through education and mentoring. NCARK has the tools and resources necessary to teach and motivate people to properly care for and take responsibility for these animals.
NCARK has put together a team of top experts. We have Biologists, Educators, Herpetologists, Herptoculturists, Naturalists, Veterinarians, Zoo Keepers and Hobbyists who contribute their knowledge, experience, and time to ensure that the reptiles we love are well taken care of, safely secured, and continue to remain in private hands. We have successfully organized and activated reptile professionals and enthusiasts from every corner of the state. We represent a large group of voting citizens that are very concerned about our constitutional rights. We are devoted to our animals and have much to contribute to our fellow citizens, state agencies, and the science of reptile husbandry. We believe the conservation of these tragically misunderstood creatures is paramount. There is no public safety problem with captive reptiles in the State of North Carolina. There is a public perception problem. Antiquated stereotypes must be exposed for what they are… myth. Ideologues cannot be allowed to perpetuate these myths unchallenged. Public perception will be changed through education. The facts support the truth - there has never been a public safety problem with reptiles in this state. With NCARK’s support of responsible private ownership, there never will be.
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