To clarify for educational purposes: Anavip and Crofab do work for all venomous pit viper bites in North America. However I completely forgot about our native venomous elapid the coral snake. Elapids require a completely different antivenom. The point remains the same, antivenom for native species is more readily available in an emergency then the antivenom for non native species.
i thought coral snake has no antivenom and requires paliative care and systemic support until the venom is processed by the body, can you refer the name for that coral snake antivenom?
@@imdonkeykonga yes that’s the antivenom used! There was actually a pretty cool study done on their venom. Some species of rattlesnakes have different proteins in their venom based on geographic location but they found the coral snake does not!
My biggest issue is he never had any plan if he became incapacitated. We all need plans if we can not take care of our animals Take the bite completely off the table, if he got in a car accident, had a stroke, heart attack, or even caught a virus that put him in the hospital, he needed options to care for his animals.
@TheWonkster they didn't refuse him because he had harassed or mocked them. The places that refused to do so did it because A) it was his choice to handle hots irresponsibly B) not only is antivenin hugely expensive, there will be no more of this type available until 2025, so they chose to keep it in stock for their own employees who might happen to get bit. There's nothing irresponsible about that.
The over-the-top arrogance and ignorance of the individual you won’t mention is the worst I’ve seen. He is a clout goblin foremost so if he doesn’t return to venomous snake keeping he’ll try to destroy another hobby for views because he can.
He will blame the cops and the doctors and say it was part of conspiracy against him. As soon as he is on his feet he will buy more venomous snakes. This is his 50 cent moment.
I'd be willing to bet he'll start building another illegal collection as soon as he's out of the hospital. Of course we'll all hear about it because his ego won't let him stay off social media.
I don't think requiring a license to keep venomous snakes is a bad idea so long as the requirements aren't too onerus. Pay a small fee and prove you have the knowledge and adequate facilities to keep them. It protects both the animals and the people.
@@ariste01 I can’t say I disagree with you. I have over 5 different permits myself because of the work I do. In which I had to prove my experience, knowledge, protocols, and that I had the appropriate enclosures for the animals I work with. However, when it comes to regulations, my only concern would be governmental overreach.
@@Carolinareptilecenter i am aware that "so long as the requirements aren't too onerus" is the key phrase there. The problem becomes politicians who think they know more than experts and/or let fear override reason. I am just so heartbroken over those snakes losing their lives. I did not view his content, but a lot of the reptile keepers i watch have addressed the situation and/or keep similar collections. They're such gorgeous animals, and they deserved so much better. Personally, I have the self-awareness to know there should always be glass between me and anything venomous. I wouldn't want to even be in the room with someone else handling one. I don't see very well, I can't move very fast, I'm pretty doplic, and I have this weird sorta aura of chaos energy that seems to surround me. My dad used to say Murphy (as in Murphy's law) was alive and well, and my second cousin when i was growing up, my grandfather used to call me jinx, and my friends still comment that the really crazy stuff only ever seems to happen when I'm there. Lol, I repeat: there should always be glass between me and anything venomous. 😆
For sure. He would've NEVER been given a venomous snake if they saw the state of the house he lived in alone if there were reasonable regulations in check! And regular surprise checks so that a hidden hoarder situation (because that's what this was) aren't kept secret for long.
I used to ride a motorcycle everywhere. It isn't a case of if you will go down, it is a question of when. Thus I wore helmets, gloves, and boots and a heavy jacket when feasible to mitigate the effects of gravity and physics. I don't handle hot snakes and have a snake hook if I ever have to move one. From what I understand, the individual in question was a bit of an egotistical jerk who played with very hot snakes for e-clout. He did not have any contingency plans for taking a bite. I FULLY endorse the organizations that denied him antivenom who argued that it would be better used for people who get bitten while not doing intentionally stupid things. I would not be surprised if after they pull the ventilator tube from this chump and he regains enough nerve response to make a video about his near-death experience with his Fierce Snake, that the internet does two things: point and laugh, and refuse to sell him any animals whatsoever. Not even pictures of animals. I respect people who commit themselves to caring for animals and I feel rotten for those who will be negatively affected by the actions of a complete and utter bozo. May this person fully recover and live many years with the shame of knowing he is a prime example of what NOT to be.
Of course he didn't have antivenom in his home, after all, didn't he say people with antivenom are "cats"? I'm not a reptile keeper, have no dog in this fight, but he's single handedly managed to mess up the rights of ever responsible keeper in the US with his arrognace and ego. I really and sincerely hope this guy survives what happened, but let's be honest, his chances of walking away from this with absolutely no life changing injuries are pretty low.
@@Warriorking.1963 That was one of the comments I had the hardest time with personally. The longer you wait to treat a venomous bite the more damage that can occur and the more likely someone ends up with long-term or permanent issues. Most bites (I’m speaking native bites, I don’t know about exotics) do eventually recover. However the reason many of us strongly recommend treatment with anti-venom is because it accelerates recovery, reduces pain, and decreases the likelihood of prolonged or permanent disability.
I don’t understand the fascination with keeping snakes. I do enjoy watching the TH-cam videos. Those of you that do keep these animals are very passionate and appear to very good care of them. I respect that.
Appropriate legislation for permits and that kind of thing could prevent this situation recurring, without necessarily prohibiting keeping venomous snakes altogether
@@easternbrown I can’t say I disagree with you. I have over 5 different permits myself because of the work I do. In which I had to prove my experience, knowledge, protocols, and that I had the appropriate enclosures for the animals I work with. However, when it comes to regulations, i do have concerns with governmental overreach. It’s definitely a very complex issue imo.
Even in controlled environments like zoos, accidents can happen. There is a significant difference between handling a native species with established antidotes and handling an exotic species like the Inland Taipan. Although Australia has access to effective antivenom, the availability of such medical treatments in other countries is limited or even non-existent, which would make a bite from an Inland Taipan potentially fatal outside Australia.
Thanks for your post on this subject. It’s quite difficult to understand this person, especially with the comments he made before his bite. Stay safe and keep up your work. ❤️
@@SC515 thank you! I agree it’s difficult to understand this person. I was really hoping he would share a video thanking the responsible people who sent him anti-venom and that he would take accountability for his poor choices, but so far that hasn’t been the case.
@@sassafrass241 Yes. At first he couldn’t talk at all and was having multiple hallucinations. He was on a ventilator and on dialysis (his kidneys were not producing urine). However, he wasn’t bitten by an adult he was bitten by a juvenile and he received multiple vials of anti-venom. He is up awake and talking and making videos again already.
My concern is for that serval he had, which escaped. I hope and pray (to Bastet! 😊) that someone will find that feline, and give him or her a loving home. Wildcats form strong bonds with humans, but that was obviously not the case with him, indicating he didn't provide the love & care the cat deserved.
I promise, that cat is long gone. There are enough predators in the community that between his neglect of the creature and the lack of experience outside, it’s not here anymore. Firsthand knowledge of the community.
The fact is he, or anyone else for that matter, can do stupid shit as much as they like.....AS LONG AS ITS JUST THEM THAT TAKES THE CONSEQUENCES. If hes stupid enough to believe that he "wont get bitten" then thats on him. The animals tho, werent complicit. They didnt ask to be sold to mr dimbulb. They didnt deserve to die for his idiotic delusions......so that he could shore up his ego, and his adrenaline addiction. He was NOT an animal person because if he was hed do ANYTHING required to ensure his animals are NEVER endangered by his actions. I agree with this lady 💯%
Thanks for your comments! We are all 'victims' here, especially the 14 snakes that were probably just as confused about the 'situation' as the Inland Taipan.
From what I've heard, that guy is anything but allright. He has renal failure, and has been on a respirator, as he only got antivenom twelve hours after the bite.
Having these animals, that are absolutely (and only) instinctual hunting machines, is redacted. You are putting your kicks, enjoyment, satisfaction and "collection" above animal welfare or conservation and everyone knows it.
Agreed. I see exactly zero good reasons why any private person needs to own an animal with anything to close to this venomous potential. Personally I find it wild to talk about the 'right' to own such an animal without even questioning whether this is a right anyone should have.
I kept hots in the 80s and 90s.....cobras were my upper limit, I did broker a pair of neonate black mambas and king cobras but as dirty Harry said "A man's got to know his limitations". As to freehandling, it's asinine, I raised an eastern diamondback from a button (1st segment of a baby rattler) to 6ft. I NEVER put a finger on that animal. I had a pair of banded snouted cobras that were dog tame that would never hood and completely docile, again I never put hands on them. I as a former hot keeper and other current keepers have criticized freehandlers till we're blue in the face that they are going to bring the hobby to it's knees....I feel for people (and animals) in SC..
Thank you for sharing your experience as a venomous keeper and for doing it responsibly! We need more examples and stories like this so people can see these animals can be kept responsibly!!
Inevitable things happen eventually. It's right there in the word "inevitable." There are some people who you will never be able to convince of things that are obvious. Even trying just makes them double down to try to prove you wrong.
@@Carolinareptilecenter It's really frustrating. Every time I see it I tell them that people who understand snakes aren't impressed. In fact they are horrified and disgusted. But apparently they do it to impress people who are phobic of snakes. Then they get bitten and people terrified of snakes feel vindicated. It's sad.
I have a genuine question. Everyone has rightfully pointed out how poor of a keeper he is, but where is the accountability for all the people that sold him the snakes in the first place? This never would have happened if basic due dilligience was done, and they realized this man was never qualified to care for the snakes he wanted. As much as I feel for the keepers that will suffer repercussions from this, it feels like no one wants to acknowledge the elephant in the room that it was the people more interested in making a buck off these animals than ensuring they go to proper homes that let this happen. Breeders and keepers can't just let any Tom, Dick, or Harry buy extremely dangerous reptiles, wait for the inevitable to happen, and then cry about how their refusal to self regulate in any meaningful capacity ruined it for everyone.
I can definitely understand where you’re coming from. This is one of the reasons I don’t breed any animals venomous or non venomous because I don’t want the responsibility of finding them responsible homes. However, I will say there are a lot of breeders I know personally who will not sell an animal if they have questions regarding the buyer. Many breeders ask questions and make you sign a contract stating you understand the care requirements, laws in your state, etc. Others are just in it for the money. It honestly depends on the individual breeder. But at the end of the day I personally believe it falls on the person buying the animal. If you’re not prepared for an animal don’t buy it and make people think you are.
@@Carolinareptilecenter So you genuinely believe that someone selling venomous reptiles who will end up paying the ultimate price if they go to the wrong person don't hold any responsibility for selling to bad faith actors, and the industry doesn't need to self regulate at all, bad owners just need to be named and shamed. How will this do anything to protect the animals you claim you love? Why is the ability for people to do whatever with these animals more important than the safety of living beings?
@@Carolinareptilecenter I'm not against the sale and ownership of these animals wholesale. I'm just against the flagrant disregard by some individuals for where these animals go, and the refusal to acknowledge if you bring animals into this world or your care and want to put them in the care of someone else you need to take the care to ensure they're going somewhere safe. It's the same standard any breeder or owner should be held to be it venomous reptiles to mice and rats. Those snakes didn't magically appear in his home, and the people who let them go to him should be ashamed of themselves.
@@Genericyoutubename1 no, actually I believe the opposite. Meaning I’m in agreement with you! I believe when you become a breeder you have a responsibility to find the animals good homes and put the animals well being first and foremost above any profit. However there are a lot of people out there who are good actors and you never know what happens behind closed doors. As long as they are doing their due diligence that’s all I can ask. I apologize if I didn’t articulate that very well Im responding and cleaning enclosures at the same time 😅
@@Carolinareptilecenter I'm so sorry I completely misunderstood your response! The last line just came across as well can't control all the breeders we just have to hope the buyers are up to snuff which came across as just trying to deflect blame. I know even with the people doing everything right there's the possibility of a dishonest person still getting their hands on an animal even if the seller did their best, so there is some merit to it coming down to buyers being responsible. As the industry stands right now though, that due diligence is not being done, so this is allowed to happen, and people act like well nothing could have been done to prevent this. As much as I understand the concerns and worry about what will happen to collections and keepers now, a part of me can't help but feel like the refusal to self regulate in any meaningful way lead to this. The fact that even in the aftermath of all of this everyone can point out what he did wrong but no one has mentioned it was wrong to sell to him in the first place with all the red flags seems to just confirm there's an inability for the community to see where they've gone wrong so outside forces have to step in. I would love to be proven wrong and there is some talk of adopting a formal code of conduct to keep irresponsible keepers away from things they can cause harm to or be harmed by, but the responses I've seen seem all completely unable to look inward. I'm not foolish enough to think that the community can control every seller out there, but if they don't want law makers involved, couldn't they at least try to implement some sort of code of conduct sellers must follow to try and ensure the safety of their snakes if they want to participate in the wider community and at expos?
Yeah and every time one of us scolds these free handlers we get chastised and told to shut up. Having seen the regulations get ridiculously stringent since the 1970's, I get so overly frustrated. And people like this just fuels the regulatory pens. Public opinions matter and every time a story like this hits, or a story of a venomous reptile on the loose, the public opinions get harsh. And the only ones that suffer are the responsible keepers and the poor animals that get destroyed through no fault of their own. The Federal regulatory people want to end exotic animal keeping in the US. They are working towards this. And every time an irresponsible person screws up we're one step closer. I'm glad I got to experience reptile keeping before the harsh regulations happened. I'm glad I got to road cruise WestcTexas before it was illegal without a permit. I paid $15 to keep my Eastern Diamondback Rattlesnake here in Florida without being inspected. Those days are long over and it's because of irresponsible people. There is absolutely no reason to free handle venomous reptiles.
@@onazram1 Thank you! I’m honestly not sure about the serval and don’t want to spread any false information. I’ve heard that but the sources I’ve seen are just people talking. I haven’t looked into it much though.
The only time I've ever seen anyone free handle a taipan before that youtuber, was when Steve Irwin did it BUT his reason for doing it was moving the snake to a distance where it had a clear route to exit (from what I remember I believe his crew was making the snake feel cornered) he even made a point on the video "never do this".
Steve Irwin was a good soul, loved animals, and his legacy for animal protection in Australia lives on thru his family. But his snake handling techniques were nothing I would use as a good example. If he used tongs to pick up the snake, put it into a container, move it, then release it, well that would have just been boring to the general public watching the show.
He makes the entire community look bad and makes it harder for the rest of us he said he has 40 years experience i don't believe that not for a minute, he went on to say anti venom is for whimps not his exact words I'm being nice and he had no plan in place for when if he were bitten his own anti venom on hand people you can trust with the snakes incase he did everything wrong coming from someone with 40 years experience supposedly Anyone watching him knew it was just a matter of time, I hope he never gets another snake he shouldn't even get his cats back 14 snakes dead because of one unexperienced irresponsible person.
I don’t think when they’re saying “look how tolerant this snake is” it’s what they mean. I think they mean “look at me, give me attention”. Which, unfortunately, I think this bitten individual will continue to chase - internet clout.
When I think about venomous Elapids, I also begin to think about 2 things that have affected my friends as well as myself. The first was the mistake made decades ago to bring Kudzu to the US. At the time no one could even in their imagination could know what a pest this plant would become. I own property still in North Georgia and I am forced to pay a man to remove the vines just so I can have access when I travel back there. Then I think about all the Pythons in South Florida. Several friends have already lost pets to these powerful snakes. In the US we only have one native Elapid. These snakes while dangerous generally don't cause many bites. I know the Southern Pacific, Mohave Rattlesnake in some of its range, as well as the Timber Rattler in some of its range has type A venom. This makes these snakes dangerous too. People need to understand how the venom of ANY Elapid works. I'm not going to use my comment to write about how this venom disrupts the nervous system and in almost every case forces the victim to be placed on a ventilator just to survive. The problem I see is over time if a mating pair of these snakes ever gets in the wild it is going to cost a lot of lives and money. It is for this reason I am categorically opposed to the private ownership of these snakes in the USA. You don't think problems can happen? I know of 2 situations where Cobra's got loose in the past 20 years. Thankfully animal control in both cases was able to find those snakes. I am sorry this man in SC had to learn the hard way. Not trying to be difficult or obtuse. Just stating my opinion!
Anti-venom for the Inland Taipan in the United States are rare and those who have it need if for their workers and won't give any, which Jeffrey Leibowitz found out the hard way. If he has a license to keep venomous animals? It should be revoked permanently!
So hopefully this is a big wake up call for everyone who decides to keep venomous snakes as a hobby. And hopefully TH-cam celebrities like Chandler and Noah who are probably the two biggest will stop free handling venomous snakes for everybody out there to see and want to duplicate. It's clear this guy had some kind of mental problems watching his videos that was quite clear in the first question everyone should have is who would sell him venomous snakes including a taipan in the first place knowing he was completely unstable? We get you want people to watch you free handle your mistakes because you get clickbait on TH-cam and it makes you money but it's also very irresponsible especially when it comes to more laws being implemented like exactly is what's going to happen here. Stand up and make a stand against freehand it's unnecessary and this is probably the biggest example of that
Ignorance is bliss. Jeffrey won't learn from this. He will only make more rude comments online, and if he makes a full recovery, this unfortunately will boost his ego even more!!!! Jeffrey has already made a video making a smart A** short.
I don't think anyone should be keeping these venomous creatures unless they are cultivating the venom and are verified professionals, keeping them because they are dangerous and cool is not a valid reason, just my opinion
I think the majority of venomous keepers keep these animals not because they’re dangerous but because they love the species. When we look at statistics there are actually more dog bites in the United States every year than there are venomous snake bites and dog bites result in more deaths per year than venomous snake bites do and we still live with dogs. Again I think it comes down to how responsible the keeper or owner is.
@@Carolinareptilecenter wasn't bashing people who keep these animals just don't see the point if you're not doing it to make antivenin and again just my opinion, but also think everyone has a right to keep them
If you don’t have venomous snakes why are you posting this? They won’t stop you from owning non venomous. I own venomous snakes and have for a while. I’ve never been bit, I don’t free handle. I live in California so they can’t make the approval process any harder.
@@Kevin-xr8bo I plan to own a native venomous species in the near future and work with them (rescue/rehabilitation). I also wanted to highlight the fact everything I’ve learned I’ve learned from responsible venomous keepers.
@@Carolinareptilecenter That makes sense. What kind of snakes are you planning to get? I live in Cali so am limited to what I can have but currently have2 spectacled rattlesnakes and 4 Western D’back morphs. I pretty much taught myself and have never had an issue. I can’t believe Jeff got bit what a fool but play stupid games, win stupid prizes. Since I only keep snakes cause I enjoy them I can’t afford a bite but I think people who free handle are only asking for it. I am pretty sure I could free handle my male Spec as he is very chill, but I never would. The cost of the bit is too much and I don’t mean monetary.
Man I’m no snake enthusiast but this is like the 5th person I’ve seen a video from here on YT and from what I gather, this dude is like the Douche Bag of the Year award recipient and will probably win it for the next few years even though he says he’s done with anything venomous. 😂
I appreciate your thoughts on this incident. I’m located in North Carolina as well and honestly I’m just dreading the incoming legislation in the next year or two as a reaction to this. There’s a very good chance that not only will they try to ban venomous snakes, but other species of snakes in general that they will try to include as “dangerous”, like snakes over a certain size, and maybe even some mammals like the coatimundi or foxes I own. They ALWAYS try to sneak in as many things as possible in these bans when something like this happens. I’m so tired of morons ruining things for people.
The person should never be allowed to own not only venomous snakes but also any other animal again. Also, the fact he made fun of people for having and using antivenom as if they were beneath him and now begging for their help is so hypocritical.
One person who was irresponsible with snakes is ruining it for everyone else. The animals were all killed. The snake was an inland taipan from Australia and is the most venomous snake in the world. The snake is found in the very dry remote deserts in Australia and isn't around people often at all. Bites happen, and it isn't if it is when. Snakes are very tolerant animals. I feel sorry for all of the venomous snake handlers that follow the rules. They are already trying to write new legislation against venomous animals.
I didn’t know that his snakes had to be put down. There will always be irresponsible people and always be black markets though. Social media makes snakes a more popular animal, so I guess more will happen in the future.
@@pascoett yes they had to be put down. Animal control is not equipped to house or care for a lot of these animals especially if they’re not native. They did try to reach out to various different organizations but these organizations decided not to take the snakes in due to concerns they had regarding their health and the conditions they were living in. I agree there will always be irresponsible people which is why shelters are full across the U.S. Lastly, Snakes are popular pets because they are great pets and are low maintenance. I personally own many of them but as with any animal, they need to be kept responsibly.
@@ericsmith6677 Yes, that’s called responsibility for you saving you, and not waiting for someone else. If I was spending thousands on snakes that can kill me, I’m spending thousands on a vial that can save me.
You require a license for personal antivenom use. so while I don't want to sound harsh this narcissistic egotistical vanity greedy driven fool who bashed the snake reptile handlers youtubers and such. was too lazy and ego driven to get it he should have never been allowed to own . the basic process which is long is you applying to get a if memory serves me correctly ind number. then once you have that you have to apply for a government and or state permit for that specific antivenom and the amount plus why and what are your protocols if something happens. then if you need a different type of antivenom then you have to apply again to a different lab manufacturer and get a separate permit for that antivenom .plus the price range from 2k to 12k a pop for the vile and it takes weeks months to make limited amount of certain 1 excluding import fees if importing it
I've only recently come to realize how popular it is to keep venomous snakes. Someone near where I lived in Miami kept a cobra, and I always assumed there was some sort of licensing with inspections of the facility and so forth, not too different from what I think is required to keep other dangerous animals, like tigers for example. I guess it's a free-for-all though. I no longer live in Miami, and currently live somewhere that an escaped snake would probably be quickly eaten by eagles, or frozen if in that half of the year, so I'm still not concerned for personal safety. I encountered numerous rattlesnakes whin I lived in SoCal, and found them to be less than scary when encountered in the wild, but still worthy of respect.
Florida imposed fairly stringent licensing requirements for venomous snake keepers a few years ago. Frankly, I complained about them for a while, and I still have a few quibbles, but overall the regulations make sense.
all you "share your thoughts" people, i share too the situation is the same when you come to a car accident, with someone screaming inside a burning car and you stand outside and say "oh we are not going to safe you, because your drove to fast and its your own fault. I could ruin my cloth" help or be quiet
Personally I think it is stupid to handle venomous snakes and when a moron thinks he is an expert and he will never get bit that is when laws have to be made to protect him and an innocent person who might get bit from his animals.
I fail to see why people think they have the “right” to own venomous snakes. How can it possibly improve your life? Maybe serve a weird fascination with the possibility of being killed, with the proud owner always claiming there precautions and knowledge keep them above “untrained” people. They aren’t necessary in any way to make an individual’s life more enriching. It appears to me the 2 biggest snakes handling TH-camrs are missing fingers from their highly trained hands got BIT! It’s really just an ego trip thing.
You have just kind of described thrill seekers of all kinds - big wave surfers, race car drivers, extreme mountain climbers - all fascinated by things that have the potential to kill them, "claiming their precautions and knowledge keep them above “untrained” people." I don't think it is that simple. Instead, they are driven by things that they love to do, even if it is not safe. Is is not really up to you to demand for them to save themselves, unless they are your kid or something. Venomous keepers that abide by laws and proper protocol (locked rooms, etc) are not your enemy. The guy in question did not have the capacity to abide by anything unfortunately.
I don’t know why anyone needs a poisonous snake unless they are creating anti venom. There should never be any poisonous snake in a private residence. You’re not only risking yourself, but any neighbor, first responder, or family. A snake should not be kept in a small enclosure. There is no debate on this. They can’t be played with, they have no emotions, and aren’t intended to be pets. Anyone keeping them are selfish and need a mental health evaluation. Let them live their lives in the wild. Period.
Looks like I am selfish and need a mental health evaluation. My snakes do great. All 6. Three of them came from an area bulldozed for condos. So much for the wild.
@@prickly_procyonids because I am smart enough to know that they shouldn’t be kept in small boxes, because I’m not some selfish asshole. Also, anywhere did I state I was an expert. My point still stands, they shouldn’t be kept in private residents, poisonous or venomous. If you get bit by either, don’t call for help and waste taxpayer money.
@@6strings735 you probably do. There is nothing normal about keeping them. They don’t have personalities and they are not meant to play with. Do you see the zoo handlers playing with any of the animals they care for? Any reptiles? No because they’re educated enough to know not to regardless if they’re a danger.
@Carolinareptilecenter venomous handling. I'm not planning on keeping any as pets, but I do want to help work with milking one day in the future for antivenom and other medical uses.
They were euthanized because other reptile centers in SC refused to take them in and animal control did not have the means to care for and house them. The other organizations refused because they had concerns regarding the snakes health and the risk it would pose to their current animals. Apparently they were living in horrible conditions, the police report said there were flys everywhere, maggots, rotting meat sitting out, etc. The smell was so bad many officers had to step outside for fresh air….
I'm an avid "Herper", but I don't get keeping snakes as pets. They don't move for days at a time. In fact, why keep any wild animals as pets. Get a dog or a cat.
I can’t speak for everyone but I can speak for myself on this. I own many non venomous snakes and I love them like people love their dogs and cats. They are low maintenance and are a joy to watch and interact with. My snakes know who I am, they are constantly out, exploring their enclosures and the enrichment centers I’ve made for them outside of their enclosures. Everyone of them has their own personality, likes, dislikes, preferences and I’ve actually target trained several of them, like you would a cat or dog. I love that they aren’t destructive like a cat or dog can be, or loud, they don’t need constant attention if I’ve had a busy day and I love designing their habitats and figuring out their likes and dislikes. They bring joy to my life and help relax me. Lastly, there’s something about having to earn an animals trust that is so incredibly rewarding not to mention some people are allergic to cats and dogs and reptiles allow them to keep pets. Again, those are just some of my reasons. I love my animals and if I had to choose between a dog and a snake, I would choose a snake because I get more joy from them personally.
I've always enjoyed going to the zoo and was disappointed when they no longer had most of the venomous snakes. They're fascinating and I can see the attraction. But I always had glass between me and the snake and can't even imagine free handling one of those. But arrogance can make you do stupid things.
I can’t speak for everyone since everyone has their own reasons, however I do know many of these animals add to peoples lives because they love the species. I personally have no interest in keeping an exotic species, but I would keep a native venomous snake for education purposes. Outside of education, I personally would not own one because I enjoy interacting with my snakes, and while I believe there should be regulations I don’t believe in outright bans.
the problem isnt individuals its the fact the gveornment uses every oppurtunity to take away more freedom in the so called land of the free. its not a right if you can lose it
Oh please. Only in America would anyone think it was a good idea to keep a fear snake as a "pet". The same country that thinks its a good idea to buy a teenager an AR-15 as a gift for Christmas or a birthday. And don't lecture the rest of the world on your "freedoms". The US of A must be about the only country in the world where you can be fined for crossing the street in the wrong place.
@@Rondawwg I would disagree that venomous snake shouldn’t be allowed to be kept. As I stated, everything I’ve learned I’ve learned from responsible venomous keepers. However I do believe venomous snakes should not be kept irresponsibly. He may have used hooks periodically, but he did not use them regularly. There are many videos where you can see him free handling rattlesnakes and Gaboon viper’s, allowing them to crawl up his arm and near his face. However I agree, laws will change and responsible keepers will suffer as a result of his poor choices.
@@ericsmith6677she’s not saying she will get laws changed. Many people have stated that this has happened before and lawmakers within that state of city often times jump on opportunities like this to make it look like they are doing all they can to protect citizens. And often times that results in stricter and tighter measures on handling and keeping that prevent those in the hobby from being able to responsibly keep the reptiles they want. She’s advocating to handle responsibly simply because it prevents DNR from putting down the snakes in an irresponsible handlers care, as well as putting more restrictions in place for those who are safely and responsibly handling these animals. Bites unfortunately happen, but with proper handling they can be greatly reduced and prevented in the first place.
To clarify for educational purposes: Anavip and Crofab do work for all venomous pit viper bites in North America. However I completely forgot about our native venomous elapid the coral snake. Elapids require a completely different antivenom. The point remains the same, antivenom for native species is more readily available in an emergency then the antivenom for non native species.
i thought coral snake has no antivenom and requires paliative care and systemic support until the venom is processed by the body, can you refer the name for that coral snake antivenom?
i looked it up myself, is made by pfizer itself, specifically for micrurus fulvius, name is interestingly "ANTIVENIN"... cool
@@imdonkeykonga yes that’s the antivenom used! There was actually a pretty cool study done on their venom. Some species of rattlesnakes have different proteins in their venom based on geographic location but they found the coral snake does not!
Get out in front of the legislation. Lead a campaign to show that this guy is one-off and not the norm for keepers.
@@77Avadon77 I wish I knew how to do that! Do you have any tips?
My biggest issue is he never had any plan if he became incapacitated. We all need plans if we can not take care of our animals Take the bite completely off the table, if he got in a car accident, had a stroke, heart attack, or even caught a virus that put him in the hospital, he needed options to care for his animals.
@@LuckyStone888 Yes! I 100% agree! I actually did a podcast with @animalsathomepodcast on that very topic! m.th-cam.com/video/BLKKWcAS-EM/w-d-xo.html
In other words he never had a bite protocol which is absolutely stupid and he should never own any hots.
@@matthatrden1323 Well yes, but we all need to learn from this. Yes, he was incredibly risky but we all should learn.
This guy is an absolute douche bag of the highest calibre. You can’t expect sense from idiots.
I have a dog. One dog. I have plans A, B, and C for what would happen to her if I was out of commission…
The irony that people who arranged the antivenin were people he has harassed, mocked, etc shouldn't be overlooked.
I agree!
Many places simply refused to give it to him.
A several places refused to help him for that very reason, I'm pretty annoyed with the zoo in NC that did.
@@TheWonksterwhat? Thought it came from FL?
@TheWonkster they didn't refuse him because he had harassed or mocked them. The places that refused to do so did it because A) it was his choice to handle hots irresponsibly B) not only is antivenin hugely expensive, there will be no more of this type available until 2025, so they chose to keep it in stock for their own employees who might happen to get bit. There's nothing irresponsible about that.
The over-the-top arrogance and ignorance of the individual you won’t mention is the worst I’ve seen. He is a clout goblin foremost so if he doesn’t return to venomous snake keeping he’ll try to destroy another hobby for views because he can.
Australian here: nope ropes are not for cuddles. We had a meeting with them and we agreed - You leave them alone, they leave you alone.
I'll bet he learned nothing
Watch some of his reels: he's too arrogant to learn a damn thing.
He won't even take ownership that he is the reason all his reptiles are gone forever.
He'll learn what "medical bankrupsy" and "reposession" mean later.
He will blame the cops and the doctors and say it was part of conspiracy against him.
As soon as he is on his feet he will buy more venomous snakes. This is his 50 cent moment.
I'd be willing to bet he'll start building another illegal collection as soon as he's out of the hospital. Of course we'll all hear about it because his ego won't let him stay off social media.
I don't think requiring a license to keep venomous snakes is a bad idea so long as the requirements aren't too onerus. Pay a small fee and prove you have the knowledge and adequate facilities to keep them. It protects both the animals and the people.
@@ariste01 I can’t say I disagree with you. I have over 5 different permits myself because of the work I do. In which I had to prove my experience, knowledge, protocols, and that I had the appropriate enclosures for the animals I work with. However, when it comes to regulations, my only concern would be governmental overreach.
@@Carolinareptilecenter i am aware that "so long as the requirements aren't too onerus" is the key phrase there. The problem becomes politicians who think they know more than experts and/or let fear override reason. I am just so heartbroken over those snakes losing their lives. I did not view his content, but a lot of the reptile keepers i watch have addressed the situation and/or keep similar collections. They're such gorgeous animals, and they deserved so much better. Personally, I have the self-awareness to know there should always be glass between me and anything venomous. I wouldn't want to even be in the room with someone else handling one. I don't see very well, I can't move very fast, I'm pretty doplic, and I have this weird sorta aura of chaos energy that seems to surround me. My dad used to say Murphy (as in Murphy's law) was alive and well, and my second cousin when i was growing up, my grandfather used to call me jinx, and my friends still comment that the really crazy stuff only ever seems to happen when I'm there. Lol, I repeat: there should always be glass between me and anything venomous. 😆
For sure. He would've NEVER been given a venomous snake if they saw the state of the house he lived in alone if there were reasonable regulations in check! And regular surprise checks so that a hidden hoarder situation (because that's what this was) aren't kept secret for long.
I used to ride a motorcycle everywhere. It isn't a case of if you will go down, it is a question of when. Thus I wore helmets, gloves, and boots and a heavy jacket when feasible to mitigate the effects of gravity and physics. I don't handle hot snakes and have a snake hook if I ever have to move one. From what I understand, the individual in question was a bit of an egotistical jerk who played with very hot snakes for e-clout. He did not have any contingency plans for taking a bite. I FULLY endorse the organizations that denied him antivenom who argued that it would be better used for people who get bitten while not doing intentionally stupid things. I would not be surprised if after they pull the ventilator tube from this chump and he regains enough nerve response to make a video about his near-death experience with his Fierce Snake, that the internet does two things: point and laugh, and refuse to sell him any animals whatsoever. Not even pictures of animals. I respect people who commit themselves to caring for animals and I feel rotten for those who will be negatively affected by the actions of a complete and utter bozo. May this person fully recover and live many years with the shame of knowing he is a prime example of what NOT to be.
Of course he didn't have antivenom in his home, after all, didn't he say people with antivenom are "cats"?
I'm not a reptile keeper, have no dog in this fight, but he's single handedly managed to mess up the rights of ever responsible keeper in the US with his arrognace and ego.
I really and sincerely hope this guy survives what happened, but let's be honest, his chances of walking away from this with absolutely no life changing injuries are pretty low.
@@Warriorking.1963 That was one of the comments I had the hardest time with personally. The longer you wait to treat a venomous bite the more damage that can occur and the more likely someone ends up with long-term or permanent issues. Most bites (I’m speaking native bites, I don’t know about exotics) do eventually recover. However the reason many of us strongly recommend treatment with anti-venom is because it accelerates recovery, reduces pain, and decreases the likelihood of prolonged or permanent disability.
Dude was a clown and had it coming for a long time
@@ravishingreptiles I can’t say I disagree with you.
Clown is too kind of a word.
I don’t understand the fascination with keeping snakes. I do enjoy watching the TH-cam videos. Those of you that do keep these animals are very passionate and appear to very good care of them. I respect that.
If you keep exotic venomous, you better have your own antivenin in stock.
Apparently hi said that anti venom is for pu$$7s . I'm very upset that his poor innocent snakes got put down.
Appropriate legislation for permits and that kind of thing could prevent this situation recurring, without necessarily prohibiting keeping venomous snakes altogether
@@easternbrown I can’t say I disagree with you. I have over 5 different permits myself because of the work I do. In which I had to prove my experience, knowledge, protocols, and that I had the appropriate enclosures for the animals I work with. However, when it comes to regulations, i do have concerns with governmental overreach. It’s definitely a very complex issue imo.
Even in controlled environments like zoos, accidents can happen. There is a significant difference between handling a native species with established antidotes and handling an exotic species like the Inland Taipan. Although Australia has access to effective antivenom, the availability of such medical treatments in other countries is limited or even non-existent, which would make a bite from an Inland Taipan potentially fatal outside Australia.
The wrong animals died here
According to his last Video from the Hospital he has not learned his Lesson. TH-cam Fame will kill........
Thanks for your post on this subject. It’s quite difficult to understand this person, especially with the comments he made before his bite. Stay safe and keep up your work. ❤️
@@SC515 thank you! I agree it’s difficult to understand this person. I was really hoping he would share a video thanking the responsible people who sent him anti-venom and that he would take accountability for his poor choices, but so far that hasn’t been the case.
@@Carolinareptilecenteris he actually awake and speaking?
@@sassafrass241 Yes. At first he couldn’t talk at all and was having multiple hallucinations. He was on a ventilator and on dialysis (his kidneys were not producing urine). However, he wasn’t bitten by an adult he was bitten by a juvenile and he received multiple vials of anti-venom. He is up awake and talking and making videos again already.
@@Carolinareptilecenter thank you! I don’t know if he’ll change, but hopefully he never gets his hands on animals again! Thanks for the update!
My concern is for that serval he had, which escaped. I hope and pray (to Bastet! 😊) that someone will find that feline, and give him or her a loving home. Wildcats form strong bonds with humans, but that was obviously not the case with him, indicating he didn't provide the love & care the cat deserved.
I promise, that cat is long gone. There are enough predators in the community that between his neglect of the creature and the lack of experience outside, it’s not here anymore. Firsthand knowledge of the community.
The fact is he, or anyone else for that matter, can do stupid shit as much as they like.....AS LONG AS ITS JUST THEM THAT TAKES THE CONSEQUENCES. If hes stupid enough to believe that he "wont get bitten" then thats on him. The animals tho, werent complicit. They didnt ask to be sold to mr dimbulb. They didnt deserve to die for his idiotic delusions......so that he could shore up his ego, and his adrenaline addiction. He was NOT an animal person because if he was hed do ANYTHING required to ensure his animals are NEVER endangered by his actions. I agree with this lady 💯%
Thanks for your comments! We are all 'victims' here, especially the 14 snakes that were probably just as confused about the 'situation' as the Inland Taipan.
Very well said.
Thank you! I wish it was more put together and not just a sit down and talk but I needed to get it off my heart
From what I've heard, that guy is anything but allright. He has renal failure, and has been on a respirator, as he only got antivenom twelve hours after the bite.
Play stupid games, win stupid prizes...
He is doing fine now, he has been on FB live and YT live from the hospital
Having these animals, that are absolutely (and only) instinctual hunting machines, is redacted. You are putting your kicks, enjoyment, satisfaction and "collection" above animal welfare or conservation and everyone knows it.
Agreed. I see exactly zero good reasons why any private person needs to own an animal with anything to close to this venomous potential. Personally I find it wild to talk about the 'right' to own such an animal without even questioning whether this is a right anyone should have.
I kept hots in the 80s and 90s.....cobras were my upper limit, I did broker a pair of neonate black mambas and king cobras but as dirty Harry said "A man's got to know his limitations". As to freehandling, it's asinine, I raised an eastern diamondback from a button (1st segment of a baby rattler) to 6ft. I NEVER put a finger on that animal. I had a pair of banded snouted cobras that were dog tame that would never hood and completely docile, again I never put hands on them. I as a former hot keeper and other current keepers have criticized freehandlers till we're blue in the face that they are going to bring the hobby to it's knees....I feel for people (and animals) in SC..
Thank you for sharing your experience as a venomous keeper and for doing it responsibly! We need more examples and stories like this so people can see these animals can be kept responsibly!!
Inevitable things happen eventually. It's right there in the word "inevitable."
There are some people who you will never be able to convince of things that are obvious. Even trying just makes them double down to try to prove you wrong.
@@USALibertarian this is so true!
@@Carolinareptilecenter It's really frustrating. Every time I see it I tell them that people who understand snakes aren't impressed. In fact they are horrified and disgusted. But apparently they do it to impress people who are phobic of snakes. Then they get bitten and people terrified of snakes feel vindicated. It's sad.
I have a genuine question. Everyone has rightfully pointed out how poor of a keeper he is, but where is the accountability for all the people that sold him the snakes in the first place? This never would have happened if basic due dilligience was done, and they realized this man was never qualified to care for the snakes he wanted. As much as I feel for the keepers that will suffer repercussions from this, it feels like no one wants to acknowledge the elephant in the room that it was the people more interested in making a buck off these animals than ensuring they go to proper homes that let this happen. Breeders and keepers can't just let any Tom, Dick, or Harry buy extremely dangerous reptiles, wait for the inevitable to happen, and then cry about how their refusal to self regulate in any meaningful capacity ruined it for everyone.
I can definitely understand where you’re coming from. This is one of the reasons I don’t breed any animals venomous or non venomous because I don’t want the responsibility of finding them responsible homes. However, I will say there are a lot of breeders I know personally who will not sell an animal if they have questions regarding the buyer. Many breeders ask questions and make you sign a contract stating you understand the care requirements, laws in your state, etc. Others are just in it for the money. It honestly depends on the individual breeder. But at the end of the day I personally believe it falls on the person buying the animal. If you’re not prepared for an animal don’t buy it and make people think you are.
@@Carolinareptilecenter So you genuinely believe that someone selling venomous reptiles who will end up paying the ultimate price if they go to the wrong person don't hold any responsibility for selling to bad faith actors, and the industry doesn't need to self regulate at all, bad owners just need to be named and shamed. How will this do anything to protect the animals you claim you love? Why is the ability for people to do whatever with these animals more important than the safety of living beings?
@@Carolinareptilecenter I'm not against the sale and ownership of these animals wholesale. I'm just against the flagrant disregard by some individuals for where these animals go, and the refusal to acknowledge if you bring animals into this world or your care and want to put them in the care of someone else you need to take the care to ensure they're going somewhere safe. It's the same standard any breeder or owner should be held to be it venomous reptiles to mice and rats. Those snakes didn't magically appear in his home, and the people who let them go to him should be ashamed of themselves.
@@Genericyoutubename1 no, actually I believe the opposite. Meaning I’m in agreement with you! I believe when you become a breeder you have a responsibility to find the animals good homes and put the animals well being first and foremost above any profit. However there are a lot of people out there who are good actors and you never know what happens behind closed doors. As long as they are doing their due diligence that’s all I can ask. I apologize if I didn’t articulate that very well Im responding and cleaning enclosures at the same time 😅
@@Carolinareptilecenter I'm so sorry I completely misunderstood your response! The last line just came across as well can't control all the breeders we just have to hope the buyers are up to snuff which came across as just trying to deflect blame. I know even with the people doing everything right there's the possibility of a dishonest person still getting their hands on an animal even if the seller did their best, so there is some merit to it coming down to buyers being responsible. As the industry stands right now though, that due diligence is not being done, so this is allowed to happen, and people act like well nothing could have been done to prevent this. As much as I understand the concerns and worry about what will happen to collections and keepers now, a part of me can't help but feel like the refusal to self regulate in any meaningful way lead to this. The fact that even in the aftermath of all of this everyone can point out what he did wrong but no one has mentioned it was wrong to sell to him in the first place with all the red flags seems to just confirm there's an inability for the community to see where they've gone wrong so outside forces have to step in. I would love to be proven wrong and there is some talk of adopting a formal code of conduct to keep irresponsible keepers away from things they can cause harm to or be harmed by, but the responses I've seen seem all completely unable to look inward. I'm not foolish enough to think that the community can control every seller out there, but if they don't want law makers involved, couldn't they at least try to implement some sort of code of conduct sellers must follow to try and ensure the safety of their snakes if they want to participate in the wider community and at expos?
Yeah and every time one of us scolds these free handlers we get chastised and told to shut up.
Having seen the regulations get ridiculously stringent since the 1970's, I get so overly frustrated.
And people like this just fuels the regulatory pens.
Public opinions matter and every time a story like this hits, or a story of a venomous reptile on the loose, the public opinions get harsh.
And the only ones that suffer are the responsible keepers and the poor animals that get destroyed through no fault of their own.
The Federal regulatory people want to end exotic animal keeping in the US.
They are working towards this.
And every time an irresponsible person screws up we're one step closer.
I'm glad I got to experience reptile keeping before the harsh regulations happened.
I'm glad I got to road cruise WestcTexas before it was illegal without a permit.
I paid $15 to keep my Eastern Diamondback Rattlesnake here in Florida without being inspected.
Those days are long over and it's because of irresponsible people.
There is absolutely no reason to free handle venomous reptiles.
I agree completely!
Didn't his Serval cat get loose and run away?
Very sensible perspective by the way...
That's what I heard
@@onazram1 Thank you! I’m honestly not sure about the serval and don’t want to spread any false information. I’ve heard that but the sources I’ve seen are just people talking. I haven’t looked into it much though.
I can verify for a fact that the serval escaped not once, but twice.
It was this last time in which I understand wildlife officers killed him. 😪
@@thesussexbunion What a shame
Yes, his pretty kitty did escape ( twice) but, fortunately I believe she was found & is being cared for
The only time I've ever seen anyone free handle a taipan before that youtuber, was when Steve Irwin did it BUT his reason for doing it was moving the snake to a distance where it had a clear route to exit (from what I remember I believe his crew was making the snake feel cornered) he even made a point on the video "never do this".
Steve Irwin was a good soul, loved animals, and his legacy for animal protection in Australia lives on thru his family. But his snake handling techniques were nothing I would use as a good example. If he used tongs to pick up the snake, put it into a container, move it, then release it, well that would have just been boring to the general public watching the show.
He makes the entire community look bad and makes it harder for the rest of us he said he has 40 years experience i don't believe that not for a minute, he went on to say anti venom is for whimps not his exact words I'm being nice and he had no plan in place for when if he were bitten his own anti venom on hand people you can trust with the snakes incase he did everything wrong coming from someone with 40 years experience supposedly
Anyone watching him knew it was just a matter of time, I hope he never gets another snake he shouldn't even get his cats back 14 snakes dead because of one unexperienced irresponsible person.
I don’t think when they’re saying “look how tolerant this snake is” it’s what they mean. I think they mean “look at me, give me attention”.
Which, unfortunately, I think this bitten individual will continue to chase - internet clout.
When I think about venomous Elapids, I also begin to think about 2 things that have affected my friends as well as myself. The first was the mistake made decades ago to bring Kudzu to the US. At the time no one could even in their imagination could know what a pest this plant would become. I own property still in North Georgia and I am forced to pay a man to remove the vines just so I can have access when I travel back there. Then I think about all the Pythons in South Florida. Several friends have already lost pets to these powerful snakes. In the US we only have one native Elapid. These snakes while dangerous generally don't cause many bites. I know the Southern Pacific, Mohave Rattlesnake in some of its range, as well as the Timber Rattler in some of its range has type A venom. This makes these snakes dangerous too. People need to understand how the venom of ANY Elapid works. I'm not going to use my comment to write about how this venom disrupts the nervous system and in almost every case forces the victim to be placed on a ventilator just to survive. The problem I see is over time if a mating pair of these snakes ever gets in the wild it is going to cost a lot of lives and money. It is for this reason I am categorically opposed to the private ownership of these snakes in the USA. You don't think problems can happen? I know of 2 situations where Cobra's got loose in the past 20 years. Thankfully animal control in both cases was able to find those snakes. I am sorry this man in SC had to learn the hard way. Not trying to be difficult or obtuse. Just stating my opinion!
Anti-venom for the Inland Taipan in the United States are rare and those who have it need if for their workers and won't give any, which Jeffrey Leibowitz found out the hard way. If he has a license to keep venomous animals? It should be revoked permanently!
So hopefully this is a big wake up call for everyone who decides to keep venomous snakes as a hobby. And hopefully TH-cam celebrities like Chandler and Noah who are probably the two biggest will stop free handling venomous snakes for everybody out there to see and want to duplicate. It's clear this guy had some kind of mental problems watching his videos that was quite clear in the first question everyone should have is who would sell him venomous snakes including a taipan in the first place knowing he was completely unstable? We get you want people to watch you free handle your mistakes because you get clickbait on TH-cam and it makes you money but it's also very irresponsible especially when it comes to more laws being implemented like exactly is what's going to happen here.
Stand up and make a stand against freehand it's unnecessary and this is probably the biggest example of that
I agree! We definitely need more people speaking out against free-handling.
Ignorance is bliss. Jeffrey won't learn from this. He will only make more rude comments online, and if he makes a full recovery, this unfortunately will boost his ego even more!!!!
Jeffrey has already made a video making a smart A** short.
@@Maskin-n1 I saw that and I can’t say I disagree with you.
He's given us an example of what not to do.
I don't think anyone should be keeping these venomous creatures unless they are cultivating the venom and are verified professionals, keeping them because they are dangerous and cool is not a valid reason, just my opinion
I think the majority of venomous keepers keep these animals not because they’re dangerous but because they love the species. When we look at statistics there are actually more dog bites in the United States every year than there are venomous snake bites and dog bites result in more deaths per year than venomous snake bites do and we still live with dogs. Again I think it comes down to how responsible the keeper or owner is.
@@Carolinareptilecenter wasn't bashing people who keep these animals just don't see the point if you're not doing it to make antivenin and again just my opinion, but also think everyone has a right to keep them
I'm in Australia I see Eastern brown snakes in the summer time
If you don’t have venomous snakes why are you posting this? They won’t stop you from owning non venomous.
I own venomous snakes and have for a while. I’ve never been bit, I don’t free handle. I live in California so they can’t make the approval process any harder.
@@Kevin-xr8bo I plan to own a native venomous species in the near future and work with them (rescue/rehabilitation). I also wanted to highlight the fact everything I’ve learned I’ve learned from responsible venomous keepers.
@@Carolinareptilecenter That makes sense. What kind of snakes are you planning to get? I live in Cali so am limited to what I can have but currently have2 spectacled rattlesnakes and 4 Western D’back morphs. I pretty much taught myself and have never had an issue. I can’t believe Jeff got bit what a fool but play stupid games, win stupid prizes. Since I only keep snakes cause I enjoy them I can’t afford a bite but I think people who free handle are only asking for it. I am pretty sure I could free handle my male Spec as he is very chill, but I never would. The cost of the bit is too much and I don’t mean monetary.
Kristin Wiley at Kentucky Reptile Zoo is known for helping people figure out how to get antivenom for exotic venomous snakes.
Yes she is! I love that she helps private keepers when placing a mass order.
Man I’m no snake enthusiast but this is like the 5th person I’ve seen a video from here on YT and from what I gather, this dude is like the Douche Bag of the Year award recipient and will probably win it for the next few years even though he says he’s done with anything venomous. 😂
I appreciate your thoughts on this incident. I’m located in North Carolina as well and honestly I’m just dreading the incoming legislation in the next year or two as a reaction to this.
There’s a very good chance that not only will they try to ban venomous snakes, but other species of snakes in general that they will try to include as “dangerous”, like snakes over a certain size, and maybe even some mammals like the coatimundi or foxes I own. They ALWAYS try to sneak in as many things as possible in these bans when something like this happens.
I’m so tired of morons ruining things for people.
Lawmakers and "officials" think legislation is the solution for everything 🙄🙄
The person should never be allowed to own not only venomous snakes but also any other animal again. Also, the fact he made fun of people for having and using antivenom as if they were beneath him and now begging for their help is so hypocritical.
I'd hate if it negatively impacted my ability to keep my hognoses. Legislators aren't often going to be that discerning.
I’m sure your cute little hog nose snake will be just fine
@@mikehunt3855 yeah, I expected such a comment. If you think venomous keeping is a flex, you shouldn't have them. :)
@@bnutz3k I own 2 boas and 1 python for the last 6 years…. What am I “flexing” ? lol
One person who was irresponsible with snakes is ruining it for everyone else. The animals were all killed. The snake was an inland taipan from Australia and is the most venomous snake in the world. The snake is found in the very dry remote deserts in Australia and isn't around people often at all. Bites happen, and it isn't if it is when. Snakes are very tolerant animals. I feel sorry for all of the venomous snake handlers that follow the rules. They are already trying to write new legislation against venomous animals.
I agree with you! Well said!
I didn’t know that his snakes had to be put down. There will always be irresponsible people and always be black markets though. Social media makes snakes a more popular animal, so I guess more will happen in the future.
@@pascoett yes they had to be put down. Animal control is not equipped to house or care for a lot of these animals especially if they’re not native. They did try to reach out to various different organizations but these organizations decided not to take the snakes in due to concerns they had regarding their health and the conditions they were living in. I agree there will always be irresponsible people which is why shelters are full across the U.S. Lastly, Snakes are popular pets because they are great pets and are low maintenance. I personally own many of them but as with any animal, they need to be kept responsibly.
@@Carolinareptilecenter That’s awful for these rare animals!
@@pascoett I agree it’s heartbreaking.
He didn't purchase them illegally though, he purchased them legally at a reptile expo in South Carolina where venomous is fully legal.
Being responsible would be to buy your own antivenin!
yeah if you have the money that shit is 4k a vile
@@ericsmith6677 if you can’t afford the anti venom, don’t collect venomous. It’s that simple!!!
@@ericsmith6677
Yes, that’s called responsibility for you saving you, and not waiting for someone else. If I was spending thousands on snakes that can kill me, I’m spending thousands on a vial that can save me.
“Antivenom is for pu55ies” - post by dude who got bit
You require a license for personal antivenom use. so while I don't want to sound harsh this narcissistic egotistical vanity greedy driven fool who bashed the snake reptile handlers youtubers and such. was too lazy and ego driven to get it he should have never been allowed to own . the basic process which is long is you applying to get a if memory serves me correctly ind number. then once you have that you have to apply for a government and or state permit for that specific antivenom and the amount plus why and what are your protocols if something happens. then if you need a different type of antivenom then you have to apply again to a different lab manufacturer and get a separate permit for that antivenom .plus the price range from 2k to 12k a pop for the vile and it takes weeks months to make limited amount of certain 1 excluding import fees if importing it
I've only recently come to realize how popular it is to keep venomous snakes. Someone near where I lived in Miami kept a cobra, and I always assumed there was some sort of licensing with inspections of the facility and so forth, not too different from what I think is required to keep other dangerous animals, like tigers for example. I guess it's a free-for-all though. I no longer live in Miami, and currently live somewhere that an escaped snake would probably be quickly eaten by eagles, or frozen if in that half of the year, so I'm still not concerned for personal safety. I encountered numerous rattlesnakes whin I lived in SoCal, and found them to be less than scary when encountered in the wild, but still worthy of respect.
Florida imposed fairly stringent licensing requirements for venomous snake keepers a few years ago. Frankly, I complained about them for a while, and I still have a few quibbles, but overall the regulations make sense.
I am by no means a reptile expert, but even I knew that the taipan was extremely dangerous.
The guy effed around and found out
all you "share your thoughts" people, i share too
the situation is the same when you come to a car accident, with someone screaming inside a burning car and you stand outside and say "oh we are not going to safe you, because your drove to fast and its your own fault. I could ruin my cloth"
help or be quiet
Personally I think it is stupid to handle venomous snakes and when a moron thinks he is an expert and he will never get bit that is when laws have to be made to protect him and an innocent person who might get bit from his animals.
He's a dirt bag, but they really couldn't place em elsewhere ? Feel ya.
I fail to see why people think they have the “right” to own venomous snakes. How can it possibly improve your life? Maybe serve a weird fascination with the possibility of being killed, with the proud owner always claiming there precautions and knowledge keep them above “untrained” people. They aren’t necessary in any way to make an individual’s life more enriching. It appears to me the 2 biggest snakes handling TH-camrs are missing fingers from their highly trained hands got BIT! It’s really just an ego trip thing.
You have just kind of described thrill seekers of all kinds - big wave surfers, race car drivers, extreme mountain climbers - all fascinated by things that have the potential to kill them, "claiming their precautions and knowledge keep them above “untrained” people." I don't think it is that simple. Instead, they are driven by things that they love to do, even if it is not safe. Is is not really up to you to demand for them to save themselves, unless they are your kid or something.
Venomous keepers that abide by laws and proper protocol (locked rooms, etc) are not your enemy. The guy in question did not have the capacity to abide by anything unfortunately.
I don’t know why anyone needs a poisonous snake unless they are creating anti venom. There should never be any poisonous snake in a private residence. You’re not only risking yourself, but any neighbor, first responder, or family. A snake should not be kept in a small enclosure. There is no debate on this. They can’t be played with, they have no emotions, and aren’t intended to be pets. Anyone keeping them are selfish and need a mental health evaluation. Let them live their lives in the wild. Period.
You can’t even differentiate between a poisonous and venomous animal… Why are you trying to speak with authority on this?
Looks like I am selfish and need a mental health evaluation.
My snakes do great. All 6. Three of them came from an area bulldozed for condos. So much for the wild.
@@prickly_procyonids because I am smart enough to know that they shouldn’t be kept in small boxes, because I’m not some selfish asshole. Also, anywhere did I state I was an expert. My point still stands, they shouldn’t be kept in private residents, poisonous or venomous. If you get bit by either, don’t call for help and waste taxpayer money.
@@6strings735 you probably do. There is nothing normal about keeping them. They don’t have personalities and they are not meant to play with. Do you see the zoo handlers playing with any of the animals they care for? Any reptiles? No because they’re educated enough to know not to regardless if they’re a danger.
Jeff should not be allowed to have any animals ever again.
Hi, I know this is off-topic, but I'm in NC too (fayetteville area)... do you know how I can go about finding a mentor in my area?
@@MarzieMalfoy oh that’s awesome! You’re super close! We are in Lake Norman! Are you wanting a mentor for rehabilitation work or venomous handling?
@Carolinareptilecenter venomous handling. I'm not planning on keeping any as pets, but I do want to help work with milking one day in the future for antivenom and other medical uses.
Leave snakes alone ffs
Don’t know much but feel the need to speak
Don't know why you would announce that about yourself but clearly an accurate self representation 🤦♂️
We know who it was!
I'm just saying, but maybe he was suicidal.
Thomas Brian Hernandez Susan White Ruth
I don't understand why his snakes were euthanized. Couldn't they just be taken to a reptile shelter?
They were euthanized because other reptile centers in SC refused to take them in and animal control did not have the means to care for and house them. The other organizations refused because they had concerns regarding the snakes health and the risk it would pose to their current animals. Apparently they were living in horrible conditions, the police report said there were flys everywhere, maggots, rotting meat sitting out, etc. The smell was so bad many officers had to step outside for fresh air….
@@Carolinareptilecenter Horrible, even worse than I thought. Thnx for explaining.
White Jessica Anderson George Gonzalez Frank
Martinez Michael Brown John Wilson Jennifer
Jeffrey is lucky viperkeeper had some, or he wouldn't have made it!
Did ViperKeeper give up his Antivenin?? I seen his video and I didn't get the impression he helped him . Cool and lucky if that's the case.
Clark Ruth Wilson Mary Anderson Karen
I'm not part of the reptile community. Unless you count owners of the one eyed trouser snake.
I'm an avid "Herper", but I don't get keeping snakes as pets. They don't move for days at a time. In fact, why keep any wild animals as pets. Get a dog or a cat.
why keep reptiles as a pet? They don't move for days at a time. Get a dog or a cat.
I can’t speak for everyone but I can speak for myself on this. I own many non venomous snakes and I love them like people love their dogs and cats. They are low maintenance and are a joy to watch and interact with. My snakes know who I am, they are constantly out, exploring their enclosures and the enrichment centers I’ve made for them outside of their enclosures. Everyone of them has their own personality, likes, dislikes, preferences and I’ve actually target trained several of them, like you would a cat or dog. I love that they aren’t destructive like a cat or dog can be, or loud, they don’t need constant attention if I’ve had a busy day and I love designing their habitats and figuring out their likes and dislikes. They bring joy to my life and help relax me. Lastly, there’s something about having to earn an animals trust that is so incredibly rewarding not to mention some people are allergic to cats and dogs and reptiles allow them to keep pets. Again, those are just some of my reasons. I love my animals and if I had to choose between a dog and a snake, I would choose a snake because I get more joy from them personally.
I've always enjoyed going to the zoo and was disappointed when they no longer had most of the venomous snakes. They're fascinating and I can see the attraction. But I always had glass between me and the snake and can't even imagine free handling one of those. But arrogance can make you do stupid things.
Is it really that hard for you to comprehend other people don’t think the same way as you do and actually find snakes very interesting and cool?
No one should own venomous snakes.. What is the purpose unless your rehabilitating them to return them to their organic region.
For those like Kentucky Reptile Zoo that have venomous snakes, a lot of research is used for disease treatments
@@j_hilljr_kanienkehaka that's different, not a "hobby."
I can’t speak for everyone since everyone has their own reasons, however I do know many of these animals add to peoples lives because they love the species. I personally have no interest in keeping an exotic species, but I would keep a native venomous snake for education purposes. Outside of education, I personally would not own one because I enjoy interacting with my snakes, and while I believe there should be regulations I don’t believe in outright bans.
Do you care more about snakes than people?
@@sambooliver2880 I believe every life, human and animal alike, is important, valuable, and matters.
I do...
the problem isnt individuals its the fact the gveornment uses every oppurtunity to take away more freedom in the so called land of the free. its not a right if you can lose it
Oh please. Only in America would anyone think it was a good idea to keep a fear snake as a "pet". The same country that thinks its a good idea to buy a teenager an AR-15 as a gift for Christmas or a birthday. And don't lecture the rest of the world on your "freedoms". The US of A must be about the only country in the world where you can be fined for crossing the street in the wrong place.
He did use hooks. In his Gaboon viper video. Venomous snakes shouldn’t be allowed to be kept. Laws will change after this……
Why cause your scared of them. There is no issue if you respect them. I know many people that keep don’t free handle and don’t get bitten
Because one person almost died?
By that logic, automobiles shouldn’t be used because thousands actually die!
@@Rondawwg I would disagree that venomous snake shouldn’t be allowed to be kept. As I stated, everything I’ve learned I’ve learned from responsible venomous keepers. However I do believe venomous snakes should not be kept irresponsibly. He may have used hooks periodically, but he did not use them regularly. There are many videos where you can see him free handling rattlesnakes and Gaboon viper’s, allowing them to crawl up his arm and near his face. However I agree, laws will change and responsible keepers will suffer as a result of his poor choices.
who are you to decide? we have to many damn laws i feel like i live in china life isnt all about safety
@@ericsmith6677she’s not saying she will get laws changed. Many people have stated that this has happened before and lawmakers within that state of city often times jump on opportunities like this to make it look like they are doing all they can to protect citizens. And often times that results in stricter and tighter measures on handling and keeping that prevent those in the hobby from being able to responsibly keep the reptiles they want. She’s advocating to handle responsibly simply because it prevents DNR from putting down the snakes in an irresponsible handlers care, as well as putting more restrictions in place for those who are safely and responsibly handling these animals. Bites unfortunately happen, but with proper handling they can be greatly reduced and prevented in the first place.