Necessary evil

[herpitologica]

Hi Everyone
I got home to my farm this morning to find that my boy had killed a large cape cobra(approx 6foot 4).He said he had walked into the large chicken hok and was sorting out their water and feed when he heard a rustle behind him.He spun around and saw the cobra,full hood spread, in front of the closed door blocking he's escape(it must have been hiding under the roofing lying just inside the hok).He used he's walking stick to kill it which he claims took 3 shots.
Now he knows from years of working with me that you never kill any animal unless totaly necessary.Thing is he's 67 and half blind and I let him stay there just to do the small things around the farm.I stand by what he did 100%,fact being he's in a closed in area with no way of escape or getting off the farm if he's bitten and has small children and dogs running around just outside the cage.
I just want to know who else has had to kill an animal in order to protect themselves or those around them(any animal)?

[Ryuu]

I use to to live on a Farm Outside Rustenburg and we Often came in contact with Mozambique Spitting Cobras (Naja mossambica) Huge ones and I had a Jack Russel who often got into Fights with them (and other snakes)

So this one day I get back from town to find him and a Large Mozambique Spitting Cobra (Naja mossambica)inside one of the outside buildings
the Dog and the snake had duked it out for quite some time and I had to subdue the little Jack Russel to capture the snake. But it was far to late for the snake.. it had multiple breaks in the spine and huge wounds to the body so i made the choice and killed it.

Hate doing it.. but sometimes its unavoidable..

as for the part in protecting someone, I thankfully haven't been in that situation.. Could always safely handle the situation I was in(Not that there's been many)