Download Questions for discussion ETS shelved What does the BtN story

Questions for discussion
ETS shelved
1.
What does the BtN story mainly explain?
a) What climate change is
b) The delay of the Emissions Trading Scheme
c) How the ETS relates to the Kyoto Protocol
d) Who Kevin Rudd and Penny Wong are
2.
The Federal Climate Change Minister is
a) Tony Abbott
b) Kevin Rudd
c) Peter Garrett
d) Penny Wong
3.
How long has the Prime Minister delayed the ETS scheme for?
a) 12 months
b) Two years
c) Three years
d) Indefinitely
4.
What do you think the Prime Minister meant when he said climate change was
the `great moral challenge of our generation’?
5.
What is the aim of the ETS?
a) Reduce the amount of carbon dioxide polluting the atmosphere
b) Help companies get carbon credits
c) Raise public awareness about climate change
d) Tax people for using too much water
6.
How does the ETS work?
a) Turning off the electricity when people have used too much
b) By charging companies who produce too much carbon dioxide
c) Making companies use electricity at certain times of the day
d) Regulating the amount of water companies can use
7.
Since 2006 public opinion on whether we should do something about climate
change has gone from
a) 83% to 66%
b) 68% to 46%
c) 46% to 68%
d) 55% to 23%
8.
What is another benefit for the Prime Minister in delaying the ETS?
9.
When is the next Federal Election?
a) 2010
b) 2011
c) 2012
© ABC 2010
EPISODE 10
4TH MAY 2010
d) 2013
10. The BtN ETS shelved story is an example of a
a) Narrative
b) Procedure
c) Argument
d) Report
`Do you think we should do something about climate change, even if it costs us a lot?’
Vote in our online poll.
Thai troubles
1.
What does the BtN story mainly explain?
a) Thailand is a great holiday destination
b) The economic situation in Thailand
c) The recent political arguments in Thailand
d) Who should be the next king of Thailand
2.
Thailand is often called the
a) Land of plenty
b) Land of smiles
c) Land of trouble
d) Land of beaches
3.
The Australian Government are advising travellers
a) That travel to Thailand is safe
b) Not to travel to Thailand
c) To be alert when travelling
d) To exercise caution when travelling in Thailand
4.
Briefly explain who the red shirts support and why.
5.
Who do the yellow shirts support and why?
6.
Both sides support the
a) Current Prime Minister
b) King
c) Prince
d) Previous Prime Minister
7.
In which year did Thailand become a democracy?
a) 1900
b) 1932
c) 1946
d) 1969
8.
The King usually breaks up political fights but he is not intervening this time
because
a) He is old and sick
b) He doesn’t care about what is going on in Thailand
© ABC 2010
c)
9.
He doesn’t want to get involved in political fights
What is the main purpose of the BtN story?
a) To argue
b) To criticise
c) To inform
d) To warn
10. The BtN Thai troubles story is an example of a
a) Recount
b) Procedure
c) Argument
d) Report
Send us a message on the BtN guestbook http://abc.net.au/btn/guestbook.html
Autism helpers
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
6.
7.
8.
9.
Discuss the Autism helpers story with another student.
How does Bhodi’s dog Fremont help him?
How does autism affect people?
How does Bhodi’s mum control Fremont?
Describe how having an autism assistance dog has helped the family.
What have been the social benefits for Bhodi since having Fremont?
How long does it take to train a dog?
What do they teach the dogs to do?
Sometimes kids with autism can run off without warning so the dogs are
taught to act like an __________.
10. How did this story make you feel?
Research the different ways dogs have been used to help people over the years. Present
your research findings to the class or create a poster.
Footy injuries
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
6.
Briefly summarise the BtN story.
What did David Beckham injure?
Finish the following sentence: Ligaments and tendons are like…
Create an illustration that shows where the Achilles tendon is.
Retell the Greek Myth about Achilles.
An injured Achilles tendon is more common with younger people. True or
false?
7. Why do a lot of football players suffer from hamstring injuries?
8. How long do hamstrings take to heal?
9. Why do some people think the interchange rule may be increasing the number
of injuries?
10. What things can people do to help prevent sports injuries?
Test your knowledge in the online quiz.
Snake man
© ABC 2010
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
6.
7.
8.
9.
10.
Briefly summarise the BtN Snake man story.
John Cann is also known as...
Describe John Cann’s life growing up with snakes.
How many times was John’s dad George bitten in 20 years?
What is John’s favourite type of snake?
George Cann had become immune to snake venom. What does that mean?
Where was he bitten?
What are three adjectives to describe working with snakes?
Illustrate an aspect of the story.
What was surprising about this story?
Create a quiz about snakes and give it to another student to try.
© ABC 2010
ETS shelved
Focus Questions
11. What does the BtN story mainly explain?
e) What climate change is
f) The delay of the Emissions Trading Scheme
g) How the ETS relates to the Kyoto Protocol
h) Who Kevin Rudd and Penny Wong are
12. The Federal Climate Change Minister is
e) Tony Abbott
f) Kevin Rudd
g) Peter Garrett
h) Penny Wong
13. How long has the Prime Minister delayed the ETS scheme for?
e) 12 months
f) Two years
g) Three years
h) Indefinitely
14. What do you think the Prime Minister meant when he said climate change was
the `great moral challenge of our generation’?
EPISODE 10
4TH MAY 2010
Learning Area
Society and
Environment
Key learning
Students will
develop a deeper
understanding of
the public opinion
about climate
change by
conducting a
survey or
questionnaire.
15. What is the aim of the ETS?
e) Reduce the amount of carbon dioxide polluting the atmosphere
f) Help companies get carbon credits
g) Raise public awareness about climate change
h) Tax people for using too much water
16. How does the ETS work?
e) Turning off the electricity when people have used too much
f) By charging companies who produce too much carbon dioxide
g) Making companies use electricity at certain times of the day
h) Regulating the amount of water companies can use
17. Since 2006 public opinion on whether we should do something about climate
change has gone from
e) 83% to 66%
f) 68% to 46%
g) 46% to 68%
h) 55% to 23%
18. What is another benefit for the Prime Minister in delaying the ETS?
19. When is the next Federal Election?
e) 2010
f) 2011
g) 2012
© ABC 2010
.
h) 2013
20. The BtN ETS shelved story is an example of a
e) Narrative
f) Procedure
g) Argument
h) Report
Should climate change be off the agenda?
Students will be investigating what the public thinks about the Government’s
decision to delay the Emissions Trading Scheme and whether they think climate
change has been taken off the political agenda.
Watch the BtN ETS shelved story again and ask students to record the
main issues raised in the story. Students will be finding out what public
opinion is about the issue by conducting a survey or a `What do you
reckon?’ (Video or audio recording) To ensure students have a clear
understanding of the issue, they will need to write a brief summary of what
the ETS is and the Government’s recent decision to delay the scheme. The
summary can be used to explain the issue to interviewees.
Students will interview a range of people – students, parents, teachers,
family and friends. To get a range of opinions, at least five people will need
to be interviewed.
Students will need to devise questions for their survey/questionnaire. Some
possibilities include:



Do you agree with the Government’s decision to delay the
Emissions Trading Scheme? Why?
Do you think the Federal Government is still concerned about
climate change? Why?
Are there more important issues for the Government to be putting
money into at the moment? If so, what are they?
Discuss with students how they can present their responses. This will
depend on how students recorded the interviews/responses. Students could
create a `What do you reckon?’ segment similar to the one on BtN. Other
options include:



PowerPoint presentation
Oral report
Video news story
In small groups, students discuss the responses from people they interviewed. What
was surprising about the responses? What do they understand more clearly about
the issue?
Reflection
What worked well with your survey?
What would you do differently next time?
 Related Research Links
© ABC 2010
ABC News – Labor shelves emissions scheme
http://www.abc.net.au/news/stories/2010/04/27/2883282.htm
ABC News – Rudd deflects blame for emissions backflip
http://www.abc.net.au/news/stories/2010/04/27/2883903.htm
ABC News – Poll shows strong support for carbon cuts
http://www.abc.net.au/news/stories/2010/04/27/2884120.htm
ABC Behind the News – Emissions vote
http://abc.net.au/btn/story/s2653903.htm
ABC Behind the News - Emissions Trading
http://www.abc.net.au/btn/story/s2564766.htm
© ABC 2010
Footy injuries
Focus Questions
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
6.
Briefly summarise the BtN story.
What did David Beckham injure?
Finish the following sentence: Ligaments and tendons are like…
Create an illustration that shows where the Achilles tendon is.
Retell the Greek Myth about Achilles.
An injured Achilles tendon is more common with younger people. True or
false?
7. Why do a lot of football players suffer from hamstring injuries?
8. How long do hamstrings take to heal?
9. Why do some people think the interchange rule may be increasing the number
of injuries?
10. What things can people do to help prevent sports injuries?
Preventing sports injuries
Students will be researching way to help prevent sports injuries. Begin with a class
brainstorm asking students to think about the different types of sports injuries and
some possible causes.
Students complete the following close exercise
This year some big name _________ players have been taken out with
hamstring ____________. Overseas there’s been a lot of talk about
whether ____________ legend David ___________ will ever play again
after he damaged his ____________ tendon.
Another injury that plagues footy players is the ___________strain. They
are the big muscles that go up your __________. They’re pretty strong
and _________ but professional footy players can sometimes work them
too hard and ________ the muscle or ______ that attach it to the bone.
tendons hamstring footy injuries tear Beckham elastic tear soccer
Achilles
© ABC 2010
EPISODE 10
4TH MAY 2010
Learning Area
Health and
Physical Education
Key learning
Students will
develop a deeper
understanding of
how sports
injuries occur and
ways to prevent
them.
Students can choose one or more of the following activities:
Students investigate ways sports injuries can be prevented by focussing on the
following categories: The environment of a particular sport, fitness levels and protective
clothing/equipment. Present their research findings using information communication
technologies.
Students create some warm-up and cool-down activity cards for a specific sport.
Create a labelled diagram of a hamstring and/or an Achilles tendon.
Research a famous sports person who has been injured. What was the nature of their
injury and how was treated?
 Related Research Links
ABC News – Achilles injury hurts Beckham’s cup dream
http://www.abc.net.au/news/stories/2010/03/15/2845748.htm
ABC Health and Wellbeing – Sports injuries: how to prevent them
http://www.abc.net.au/health/features/stories/2008/03/05/2174010.htm
KidsHealth – Five ways to avoid sports injuries
http://kidshealth.org/kid/watch/out/sport_safety.html
Betterhealth Channel – Sports injuries
http://www.betterhealth.vic.gov.au/bhcv2/bhcarticles.nsf/pages/Sports_injuries
© ABC 2010
BtN: Episode 10 Transcripts
04/05/10
On this week's Behind the News:

A big delay for Australian action on climate change.

The special dogs helping kids with autism.

And we look at all those footy injuries, what's going wrong?
Hi I'm Nathan Bazley welcome to Behind the News.
Also in today's show we'll look at the current problems in Thailand.
ETS Shelved
Reporter: Nathan Bazley
INTRO: If you watched BTN last year, you would have heard a lot
about the government's plan for an Emissions Trading Scheme.
It's designed to combat global warming.
The Prime Minister tried to push it through but the opposition
parties rejected it they wanted different schemes.
© ABC 2010
Well now it seems Kevin Rudd has pretty much shelved the idea
announcing he is delaying it for at least three years.
Why the back-flip? Well as with many things in the world of politics
there's more at play than just the environment.
The politics of climate change can be pretty confusing.
All last year you would have heard the government saying things like
this.
KEVIN RUDD, PRIME MINISTER: Climate change is the great moral
challenge of our generation.
PENNY WONG, CLIMATE CHANGE MINISTER: The fact is, the
longer we delay our response to climate change, the harder our job
will become and the more it will cost. We cannot run and we cannot
hide.
KEVIN RUDD: To delay any longer would be reckless and
irresponsible for our economy and for our environment.
The message seems clear they wanted us to do something big and they
wanted it done right now.
But now he's singing a very different tune.
KEVIN RUDD: The implementation of a carbon pollution reduction
scheme in Australia will therefore be extended until after the
conclusion of the current Kyoto commitment period, which finishes at
the end of 2012.
That's at least three years before any action is taken on the issue of
climate change which is exactly the OPPOSITE of what the Prime
Minister was calling for last year.
© ABC 2010
Like I said politics can be a confusing business!
But before we investigate the sudden change, let's recap what it is the
PM's arguing with himself about.
The emissions trading scheme was a big plan to reduce the amount of
carbon dioxide polluting our atmosphere.
Some companies produce a lot, others only make a bit. But what
would happen if the council took away one of the bins.
GIRL 1: I can't fit all my rubbish in!
GIRL 2: I've got heaps of room.
So they could either make less rubbish or buy some bin space from
their neighbour.
That's what emissions trading is all about.
The government planned to set a limit on how much Carbon Dioxide
can be produced, just like taking a bin away.
Then if companies make too much, they have to pay, or trade, things
called carbon credits with other companies that have reduced their
emissions.
Overall it was meant to make polluting too expensive and therefore
encourage companies to clean up their acts!
It was all meant to be happening ASAP as soon as possible so what's
gone wrong?
© ABC 2010
TONY ABBOTT, OPPOSITION LEADER: Why has he run away from
what he said was the greatest moral challenge of our time?
Well the Opposition has kept voting against the scheme - but is there
another reason for the Government to put its big plan on ice?
Some commentators say it all comes down to one thing US.
Every year since 2006 an opinion poll has asked a group of Aussies
whether they think we should do something about climate change,
even if it costs us a lot.
Back then around 68 percent said we should.
But fast forward to this year and support is down to 46 percent.
It seems action on climate change isn't as popular as it used to be.
Politicians are always careful to support things that are popular
especially in an election year like 2010.
There is another benefit for the Prime Minister in delaying the ETS
too it'll mean he saves a lot of money, money he's hoping to spend on
more doctors and nurses.
And health spending is always pretty popular with voters.
Online Poll
© ABC 2010
Let's make that story this week's poll question in fact it's the same
question that's been asked of the adults.
Do you think we should do something about climate change, even if it
costs us a lot?
To vote, head to our website.
Thai Troubles
Reporter: Sarah Larsen
INTRO: Climate change has been an important debate in Australia
though most Australians generally don't get too worked up over
politics.
But in some countries political arguments can disrupt everyone's
life.
That's what's happening in Thailand at the moment.
Sarah takes a look at what's going on over there and why it's been
such a big story.
SARAH LARSEN, REPORTER: Looking for a place to go on holidays?
Thailand's a pretty popular choice. It's here in South East Asia and
every year thousands of Aussies go there for the beaches, the
awesome animals and the friendly locals. In fact Thailand's often
called the land of smiles. Tourism's really important for Thailand but
now the government here's advising people not to go.
KIDS: What? How come?
© ABC 2010
This is why. There have been violent protests on the streets of
Bangkok, Thailand's capital. More than 20 people have been killed
and a few weeks ago a young Aussie teacher was injured.
KID: What are they protesting about?
There are two sides that are pretty easy to recognise. One wears red
and the other wears yellow. The red shirts support this guy; Thaksin
Shinawatra. He used to be the prime minister of Thailand and he
spent a fair bit of money on things like health and education in the
poorer country areas. That made him pretty popular with people
there. But Thaksin isn't poor. He's a rich businessman and his
opponents said he was using his position to make money for his
family. So in September 2006 the Thai military came and threw him
out. Later a court found him guilty of corruption but the red-shirts
reckon the army had no right to remove an elected government. Ever
since then Thai politics have been a bit of a mess. There's a new PM this guy - but he wasn't elected by the people. The yellow shirts
support him. They're mostly from the city and they see the red-shirts
as trouble makers. They wear yellow because that's the colour of the
Thai King and that's something that's important to all Thais; rich or
poor, red or yellow. Thailand had kings a long time before it had a
government but in 1932 it became a democracy. So now there's a royal
as head of state but the rules are made by the government and it's
elected by the people.
Australia has a similar system. We have the queen who's technically
the boss but all the decisions are made by the government which is
elected by us. But there are a few big differences. Here we can say
what we like about the Queen. But Thailand's king is treated almost
like a god. You're not allowed to say anything bad about him.
REPORTER: And when you go to the movies everyone has to stand up
and pay their respects to the king. If you don't, you could go to jail!
KID: So what's all that go to do with my holiday?
© ABC 2010
Well one of the reasons people are so worried about these protests is
that the king is old and sick and in the past he's been able to break up
political fights. Back in 1992 there was a similar conflict; with protests
over a prime minister who was kicked out and this is how it ended!
The king made both sides bow at his feet and promise to behave. But
now the King isn't intervening. So it’s a nervous time for Thais, and
for holiday makers, waiting to see if peace returns to the land of
smiles.
Autism Dogs
Reporter: Kirsty Bennett
INTRO: For nearly 100 years now guide dogs have been the eyes for
blind or vision impaired people.
But these pooches are proving that they can help people with all
sorts of conditions.
In South Australia dogs are being taught to assist kids with a
disorder called autism.
Kirsty spoke with a family whose beloved canine has turned their
lives around.
KIRSTY BENNETT, REPORTER: They're called man's best friend and
you can see why! This particular partnership has changed many
people's lives. The dogs are allowed to go everywhere with their
masters but the next time you see one - it could be in some quite
different company.
Fremont has been living with Bhodi and his mum Coby for two years.
Bhodi has autism, which affects how people communicate and
interact with others. You see, some kids with autism can run off
© ABC 2010
unexpectedly or can throw tantrums when they become really
stressed out. That behaviour can be tough for parents who always
need to keep an eye on them.
COBY, BHODI'S MUM: Anyone that's come to our house can a-test
for the front door is like fort knox and we've got bolts and locks and
now we don’t have to use any of them because bhodi just doesn’t want
to run away now he's got his dog there. so everything like that even
being in places like now I would normally have a death grip on him
but now I don’t worry because I know he won’t go far.
KIRSTY: That's because they have Fremont! He's one of three dogs in
South Australia which have been trained to help families with autistic
kids. Fremont's job is to ease his mum's workload and to be with
Bhodi if he gets upset.
COBY, BHODI'S MUM: Fremont's been life changing in our family.
We've gone from having two really reserved kids that don’t get out
socially to be able to go shopping now go to the movies things we
really couldn’t do beforehand.
KIRSTY: When Fremont steps outside in his jacket - it's work time.
He's allowed to go anywhere with Bhodi and that includes school!
Coby keeps control over him by using voice signals and the occasional
snack! But Fremont isn't all about taking instructions, he's also
become Bhodi's playmate! Before Fremont was around, Bhodi spoke
about 30 words. Now he can't stop chatting about his beloved dog!
KIRSTY: Tell me about him, what does he do?
BHODI: Plays things and he can sleep with me.
KIRSTY: Does he sleep in your bed?
BHODI: No he sleeps in his bed. And I like to pat him!
COBY, BHODI'S MUM: He's just fabulous. He's a friend to the boys
he's a companion and he's the left hand man for me he takes a lot of
worry out of everyday life and you don’t have worry about them
© ABC 2010
running away anymore and he helps them with social skills which is
great.
KIRSTY: The Guide Dogs crew were so impressed with Fremont's
progress that they've started up a program to train more dogs!
Phoenix is one pooch that's getting closer to graduation! It's a pretty
big deal for the Guide Dogs team because it takes up to 18 months and
25,000 bucks to train each dog!
TRACEY, GUIDE DOGS SA.NT INSTRUCTOR: We teach them
sometimes how to find a child they’ll often hide under a bed or in the
wardrobe really difficult to get them it’s a bit of a game but we teach
them how to locate the kids.
KIRSTY: They're also taught skills like crossing roads and comforting
people when they're upset.
UPSOT TRACEY, GUIDE DOGS SA.NT INSTRUCTOR: You can see
your reaction instantly was like OH!
KIRSTY: Such a relief!
TRACEY, GUIDE DOGS SA.NT INSTRUCTOR: And he's doing it and
it does make you stop everything else and concentrate on him so
that's exactly what we are wanting.
KIRSTY: Another skill is how to deal with autistic kids when they're
outside.
Sometimes kids with autism can run off without any warning. So the
dogs are taught to act like an anchor. So if I run off Phoenix quickly
stops me. For Bhodi, the days of wearing a harness are over.
BHODI: Mum walks with him with a lead and I walk with him with
the handle.
© ABC 2010
The Guide Dogs team is aiming to place 20 dogs like Fremont with
families in South Australia and the Northern Territory over the next
three years.
Let's stay in the doggie world for a quiz.
Quiz 1
Which dog breed is considered by most experts to be the smartest in
the world?
-
Labrador
-
Border Collie
-
Poodle
Answer: Border Collie
In fact there's a border collie called Betsy who's able to recognise an
amazing 340 words most dogs are flat out remembering 15.
Footy Injuries
Reporter: Sarah Larsen
INTRO: Now, if you're a footy fan you'll know how frustrating it can
be when your favourite players get injured.
Well think of how frustrating it must be for the players!
© ABC 2010
They rely on their skills to make a living but they put their bodies
though a lot and sometimes that results in nasty injuries.
Sarah has a look at some particular mishaps that have taken out a
few big names this year.
SARAH LARSEN, REPORTER: They're at the top of their field; finely
tuned athletes with amazing strength and reflexes but in an instant it
can all go wrong.
Football commentators: Eew, Yuck. I reckon he's done a hamstring.
This year some big name footy players have been taken out with
hamstring injuries. And overseas there's been a lot of talk about
whether soccer legend David Beckham will ever play again after he
damaged his Achilles tendon.
REPORTER: So what's with all these strings and tendons. It seems
like they go without warning. How can you go from running along on
a field to struggling to walk?
To find out, I went to see someone who's made a living who treats
professional sports people.
REPORTER: So Jim, we hear a lot about these tendons and
ligaments. What are they?
JIM: Basically ligaments and tendons are made up of the same
material collagen they're like bits of thick rope that hold bones
together and tendons hold muscles to bones.
REPORTER: If you have a look at the back of your ankle you can see
one of your biggest tendons. It’s the Achilles - the rope that attaches
your calf muscle to your heel bone and lets you do things like this.
It’s named after a hero of Greek mythology, Achilles; star of quite a
few sword and sandal movies. He was supposedly a pretty tough
warrior until an arrow through the heel brought him down. In
Beckham's case there was no arrow but the tendon broke and he went
down. It’s an injury that's more common in older people and it often
happens without warning. Beckham's has been surgically reattached
© ABC 2010
but the Achilles is very strong and very important so getting it back to
normal can take a really long time. Another injury that plagues footy
players is the hamstring strain. Hamstrings are the big muscles that
go up your thighs. They're pretty strong and elastic but professional
footy players can sometimes work them too hard and tear the muscle
or the tendons that attach it to the bone.
REPORTER: Is it painful?
JIM: It’s very painful. The athlete will probably go down and clutch
their leg and they'll know they'll have done some damage and it'll be
sore for several days.
Usually hamstrings heal much quicker than bones or tendons. Most
players are back on the field in 4 to 6 weeks although a severe tear can
take a lot longer. Of course all sport people can get injuries. But lately
some have been asking if recently if football is too dangerous. Experts
reckon all the codes have become faster. And in AFL there are
questions about the interchange rule. There are no limits on the
amount of times a coach can change players and this means the game
doesn't slow down when players get tired.
Luckily for you guys, kids are a lot less likely to be injured on the field.
And while too much sport can cause problems, not enough is even
worse.
JIM: The thing that really weakens tendons at any age is not playing
any sport at all and not being physically active.
And if you look after your body now, who knows? One day it might be
you flying high for a premiership.
Snake Man
Reporter: Nathan Bazley
INTRO: Most of us would get a fair bit of a fright coming across a
snake one day but what about coming across one every day of your
life?
© ABC 2010
Well that's the choice of John, better known in Sydney as 'The
Snakeman of La Perouse'
He's been doing snake shows for years just like his father before him.
But after heaps of close calls he's decided to call it a day.
And a warning, don't try this at home!
John Cann: that is one mother of a tiger snake, a beautiful big animal,
bigger than normal. The flattening of the neck the big wedge shape
head, and you'll see at the back of the head the venom glands have
swollen up, he wants to bite.
From the tail position, he can bite you anywhere he wants to
nominate.
From nearly the day he was born snakes have been a part of john's
life.
John Cann: there was nothing unusual about it because I come up
with it always a lot of snakes, and snake people was coming here all
the time, so this was part of our life right from the word go our house
was always snakes.
This is no ordinary baby. It's the child of George Cann, and snake
charming is in the blood. Why, when they asked baby what Santa
Claus should bring, she suggested a nice rattler.
This wasn't john but his sister, Noreen.
But with a father like 'George Cann the Snake man' snakes were as
much a part of the family as a pet dog would be.
© ABC 2010
Under this iron are black snakes. George Cann, bitten 400 times in 20
years, is their master. He handles them like a real master. They can't
wriggle out of this.
And if George is their master then john is his deputy and his favourite
servant serpents are red belly black snakes. Red bellies are my
favourite type of reptile, there's no doubt about that.
And when you consider that they love eating browns and tiger snakes
while they're in your area, they're working to your advantage.
And there are some he's less a fan of.
John Cann: I'll take him and the lunatic down
Reporter : which one's the lunatic?
John Cann: he's up alongside your leg.
Open the door, and then if he does fly out on the floor you can get out.
Ooh, look out. I can see why you call him the lunatic. Hello. We have a
win.
John Cann: they are a nasty snake. They are most certainly the most
dangerous snake in Australia. When he stands up, he'll make that
figure "s" in his neck and he'll make a strike with his mouth open.
And that's something his dad experienced a lot during his life as a
snake showman, George was bitten hundreds of times but he had
become completely immune to the venom.
John Cann: he used to put the snakes, their heads in his mouth, but
he stopped doing that when a black snake bit him on the tongue.
Reporter: you were never tempted to do that?
John Cann: wouldn't dream of it.
© ABC 2010
But when his dad retired from the game john and his brother did take
it up.
And now at 72 after a good many bites himself, john is finally hanging
up the snake rod for good.
Of course he'll have to find homes for all his pets although he says
he'll keep a few of his favourites.
But soon enough that will be the end of the Snakeman of la Perouse;
Unless his kids wanted to take it on?
Reporter: and your kids are not interested in taking it over?
John Cann: no, my kids are scared of blue tongue lizards.
Maybe not.
Quiz 2
And here's our final quiz for the day.
What is the world's deadliest snake?
-
Death Adder
-
Tiger
-
Inland Taipan
© ABC 2010
Answer: Inland Taipan
The Inland Taipan is an Australian snake and just one bite produces
enough venom to kill 100 people.
So steer clear of them.
Closer
And that's it for today's show!
We'll see you next time.
© ABC 2010