Uninformed news people

[starseed]

So who here has read this article that is all over the news today...


A New York man knew it was time to give up on his unusual pet when his Baboon Spider began to rear up on its hind legs and show its large fangs.

The Long Island man recognized the warning signs and called the Suffolk County SPCA which picked up the spider this week.

SPCA Chief Roy Gross says the Ornate Golden Baboon spider is a type of tarantula that can be moody. When it rears up on its hind legs, it can jump three feet and will bite with its large fangs.

He says the spider can live for 25 years, and doesn’t make a good pet because it is very protective of its nest.

Its bite is painful and its venom can make a person sick.

The spider’s natural habitat is southern Africa .




Who else is annoyed by this bad information?

 

[P. Novak]

I'm pretty sure the majority here don't like false information like that, but there really isn't anything we can do but educate the ignorant and even that doesn't work sometimes.

 

[Rain_Flower]

Yep, I saw that too and thought it was pretty ridiculous. The best thing you can hope for is write letters to the editor and explain/inform very nicely and hopefully people will learn. It'd be a slow process, but it's helps in the long run.

But yeah, that's a load of bull feces.

 

[beetleman]

yep, read it too...........it figures

 

[Moltar]

"Ornate Golden Baboon" Sounds like they're talking about P. murinus? Although i don't like seeing t's get bad press, the facts weren't that far off, really. Only the 3' jump is really wrong there. They're so fast though that it might as well be true anyway. As for the bit about them making a bad pet; i'd agree in the case of a completely inexperienced individual as this person obviously was. I think most of us here would agree that ANY 'baboon' spider is probably a bad choice for a beginner.

Oh, and the 25 year lifespan. That's wrong too.

But really, why was this even considered newsworthy? I bet 1000 people a day give up pets in NYC. All the abandoned fighting breed dogs are probably a tish more dangerous than any tarantula. They have bigger fangs too...

 

[Rain_Flower]

etown: Agreed. Completely.

 

[_bob_]

wow how many threads are going to be posted about this?
:clap:

 

[Rain_Flower]

wow how many threads are going to be posted about this?
:clap:

Alot, apparently.

 

[syndicate]

yeah this is just bad press for the tarantula hobby heh

 

[Drachenjager]

whats even more annoying than that is that there is now 5 count them 5 seperate threads about this same event !!!! GHEESH
i guess noone even bothers to read the other posts before posting thier own...

http://www.arachnoboards.com/ab/showthread.php?p=955139

http://www.arachnoboards.com/ab/showthread.php?t=101211

http://www.arachnoboards.com/ab/showthread.php?t=101254

http://www.arachnoboards.com/ab/showthread.php?t=101220

http://www.arachnoboards.com/ab/showthread.php?p=955579

 

[JColt]

whats even more annoying than that is that there is now 5 count them 5 seperate threads about this same event !!!! GHEESH
i guess noone even bothers to read the other posts before posting thier own...

http://www.arachnoboards.com/ab/showthread.php?p=955139

http://www.arachnoboards.com/ab/showthread.php?t=101211

http://www.arachnoboards.com/ab/showthread.php?t=101254

http://www.arachnoboards.com/ab/showthread.php?t=101220

http://www.arachnoboards.com/ab/showthread.php?p=955579

And even more annoying........

 

[Drachenjager]

And even more annoying........

I see your thread needs added to the ever growing list lol
Filly

Darn now there is 6!!!! NEXT??!!

http://www.arachnoboards.com/ab/showthread.php?t=101311
http://www.arachnoboards.com/ab/showthread.php?p=955139

http://www.arachnoboards.com/ab/showthread.php?t=101211

http://www.arachnoboards.com/ab/showthread.php?t=101254

http://www.arachnoboards.com/ab/showthread.php?t=101220

http://www.arachnoboards.com/ab/showthread.php?p=955579

 

[JColt]

Can you put them in order of posting? lol

 

[starseed]

Hey I just posted this because I thought people would be interested. I dont have time to go through every post or even log in every day so dont shoot the messenger.

I see your thread needs added to the ever growing list lol
Filly

Darn now there is 6!!!! NEXT??!!

http://www.arachnoboards.com/ab/showthread.php?t=101311
http://www.arachnoboards.com/ab/showthread.php?p=955139

http://www.arachnoboards.com/ab/showthread.php?t=101211

http://www.arachnoboards.com/ab/showthread.php?t=101254

http://www.arachnoboards.com/ab/showthread.php?t=101220

http://www.arachnoboards.com/ab/showthread.php?p=955579

 

[Bulldog08]

Hey I just posted this because I thought people would be interested. I dont have time to go through every post or even log in every day so dont shoot the messenger.

don't sweat it there are always post nazis that like to put people down.

 

[Drachenjager]

don't sweat it there are always post nazis that like to put people down.

they were all top posts today lol i mean how long does it take?

 

[Mr Ed]

My local paper (Big Spring Herald)wrote up an article about this in todays' paper talking really bad about tarantulas and what bad pets they are. I wrote a well informed letter to the editor with some statistics of the number of dog bite injuries/fatalities (800,00/26 respectively). I can understand the ignorance of some people but when they disseminate false information that can be detrimental, I had to speak up. This really pissed me off to see that, oh well, I guess freedom of speech has it goods and bads.

 

[Drachenjager]

My local paper (Big Spring Herald)wrote up an article about this in todays' paper talking really bad about tarantulas and what bad pets they are. I wrote a well informed letter to the editor with some statistics of the number of dog bite injuries/fatalities (800,00/26 respectively). I can understand the ignorance of some people but when they disseminate false information that can be detrimental, I had to speak up. This really pissed me off to see that, oh well, I guess freedom of speech has it goods and bads.

why in the world is a paper in Big Spring reporting on something that insignificant that happened in another state?

 

[By-Tor]

Is it legal to libel and slander(I can't remember which is printed) something that can't defend itself as such? I know the phrasing is "knowingly false" but facts point to knowingly false...