This is the Friends Vista Debating Society with Jeremy Zachis New South Wales.

This is the snake portion and it's okay to turn away.

I don't have much experience with snakes and Jeremy has made it very clear to me over

the last years that every snake in Australia is different and exotic and will likely either

scare you or try to kill you.

There are also some plants that try to kill you in Australia I've learned recently.

However, right now we're concentrating on not running away from snakes but handling snakes

and the strangest possible opportunity for all of you who imagine that your fear of snakes

is in some way inhibited your life.

Charles Darwin University is offering a course.

What can we learn in this course about snakes Jeremy?

What's it for?

Well John, it's basically how to handle snakes and how to work in the conservation

of snakes.

So firstly John, what it's for is it's really to actually give you formal qualifications

so that if you want to go into the area of study of snakes you're formally qualified

and you can basically follow the academic path.

But also too, if you want to become a snake catcher yourself, this is actually a more qualified

way to get the training to actually then apply for the license that then happens.

Because snakes are protected by law, they are, in fact, looked after by the government

whereas this course will actually allow people to formally be qualified and formally be

able to look after a little apprentice as they are.

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