Nick Miller The problem with "Dangerous" Animals.

Burmese Pythons are often focused on as an invasive species in parts of southern Florida

Human being's like to think they know everything; that judging book by its cover, or believing the common perception is only as far as one needs to go. Much of the world is blinded by their own ignorance and filled with the belief that, what we don't know WILL hurt us. Every week there are articles about animals putting humans in danger, whether it's a snake bite, a spider bite, or a dog bite, someone, somewhere, is always covering the story on how the animals are at the fault of an issue. What mass media often times fails to include are the exact circumstances. Generally humans are at fault for these issues that could have easily been avoided with knowledge and common sense.
People have been put under the impression that animals like Burmese pythons and other large snakes are well honed, man-eating, killing machines that never fill up and are on the constant prowl. The truth behind these animals are much different. Many people are unaware that snakes have an extremely low metabolism and require very little meals in order to stay healthy and thrive. These animals generally eat one, large meal every few weeks and spend the rest of the time trying to keep warm and stay away from predators. Snakes are always on the defensive, contrary to popular belief, and therefore rarely strike at humans, unless threatened or in danger, no matter how large they are.
Even if a large snake were to attack a human, the possibility of a constrictor killing the human is insanely small. There have never been any recorded instances of large snakes feasting on adult human beings anywhere in the world. Even where these snakes are native, and the medical care is scarce, the locals are more worried about insects, than the big lazy reptiles.
In the rare case a snake does bite someone for seemingly no reason, the situation can be easily resolved if the individual remains calm and doesn't panic. If people would just avoid their knee-jerk retains of being fearful of these animals and avoiding them at all costs, humans would be able to live alongside these creatures without having to worry about the other species. In the video, Crocodile hunter, Steve Irwin, displays expert composure when he is bitten in the neck by a snake on live television. It's clear Irwin understands the animal and handles the situation perfectly.

If more people could follow him as an example, instead of the "Python Hunters" or paying attention to much of the mass media, perhaps it could be a step forward in our relationship with the wildlife we have left in this world.
The problem with "dangerous" animals is people labeling animals as "dangerous" without knowing the information on how the animal behaves. The pet industry has received a ton of backlash from these perceptions including law changes on selling and transporting certain animals that used to be popular in the pet industry, as well as receiving criticism from people who don't understand what goes in to keeping animals like spiders and large reptiles. If more people would keep these animals as pets, it would spread the knowledge of animals believed to be dangerous and will eventually result in furthering the knowledge of society as a whole. It is our responsibility, as humans, to observe and learn, not to be blinded by what we "think."