I am simply dumbfounded. After watching Fox’s Tampa Bay news, I am appalled at their enthusiasm to run a mediocre story and sensationalize it with false information (information that can be simply verified and validated by someone of authority on the subject).
You can watch (and read) the news report here: http://www.myfoxtampabay.com/dpp/news/local/hillsborough/Strange_lizard_030409
Apparently, a local plumbing company found someone’s pet lizard rustling in the bushes on their property. It was a Black and White Tegu. One that, admittedly so, could potentially pack a painful bite (as any large lizard might when irritated), however, nowhere near as dangerous as what the news was reporting. They even had the nerve to compare it’s bite to that of a Komodo Dragon.
The company owners stated that they thought it was a “harmless Iguana”, and trapped it, but after researching the internet, they discovered it was an African Nile Monitor (false!). Whenever they compared it to an Iguana, they always stated used the term “harmless Iguana” while this lizard was “dangerous”. Both, have the ability to bite, equally, when cornered, captured or in fear for their life.
The business owners contacted their congressman and were astonished that there was not a department available to euthanize the species.
The news reported that it could pack a nasty bite (true), and could kill a human if the bite was not treated immediately, as it was related to the bite of a Komodo Dragon (false!).
While the bite of any animal could get infected and cause issues if not medically treated, to run a story declaring the bite “as dangerous as one from a Komodo Dragon” (which would imply toxic) is simply spreading mis-information without double checking facts.
Had it even actually been an African Nile monitor, (which it was not) everything they said was still a falsity…
This story, had it been told as it really was, should have been nowhere near interesting enough to garner any media attention. But, letting the media spout a little ” DANGER DANGER TOXIC CRAZY GODZILLA LIZARD LOOSE IN YOUR YARD!” sure seems like an irresponsible way to report the news.
While the lizard in question sure looked upset enough (hey he was trapped in a bucket, being filmed and distrubed by numerous people), a wild Possum, placed in the same situation would have looked even nastier and would have had as much potential to pack an angry bite.
While I am sure the anchorman was simply reporting the news, as it was fed to him on a teleprompter, it is the reponsibity of the reporting news agency to at least, do basic fact checking, (which had it been done correctly, would have immediately cancelled out the majority of the story). Whatever happened to fair and balanced, Fox news?
How about, the next time, you simply contact a few more people in the industry (Fish and Wildlife, local Zoos, hey, even a local pet store) before running with the misinformation you have fed to the public. Perhaps you should educate yourselves, and others before causing alarm!
This should be a clear wakeup call, to reptile keepers and herp societies that the time to educate the non reptile keeping public is NOW. A Tampa Fox news station has a far larger stage than most of us will ever get. There is strength in numbers, and this is proof that we really do need to work together. Education, and responsible reptile keeping is a MUST.
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I am happily addicted to reading but I need to expend my book energy (especially when one puts me in an emotional frenzy - SO fun!). So, I release my feelings about the stories, by writing them down here. It's my book therapy. 
