The bootlegger was arrested, and Mr. Haast found his way to an airline mechanics school. I gathered from what he said that it would not bother him in the least were this variety of snake removed from its separate classification and returned to the larger taxon from which someone had extracted it. (and I have literally been attacked by a shark, which resulted in 30 days in the hospital, and losing half a lung) My point? I could see their fears fade as they got the nerve to touch a real snake and realize that is wasn't slimy. The Miami Serpentarium, established in1946 as the first-of-its kind premier and pioneering venom production laboratory in the world, was originated by the Founding Director, W. E. I was probably the first Bill Haast copycat and started self-immunizing with various snake venoms over here in London since the age of twenty. i would love to read a biography on bill haast or should we say DR.HAAST? In my Junior high days, I was a snake enthusiast. During this time Haast met and married his second wife, Clarita Matthews. My Dad would take me there often, we lived in South Miami (as I do againlong story). His contribution to antivenin science is unparalleled and earned him recognition throughout his life. It has also shown promise as a medicinal ingredient. Creator Of Miami Serpentarium Dies At 100 - CBS Miami - CBS News A secret of his success was the immunity he had built up by injecting himself every day for more than 60 years with a mix of venoms from 32 snake species. Haast eventually returned home, married and enrolled in airplane-mechanic school, but Florida called. As a young Canadian boy back in the 1960`s. He briefly lived in Utah and returned to Florida to live in Charlotte County 18 years ago. hoan bridge deaths 2021 . (Different venoms require different antidotes.). "Bill Haast, a Man Charmed by Snakes, Dies at 100", "Owner destroys crocodile that killed boy, may close serpentarium", "Icon: Bill Haast Snake handler, venom researcher, age 97", "100 years and kicking: Happy Birthday, Bill Haast", https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Bill_Haast&oldid=1079333500, Pages with login required references or sources, Short description is different from Wikidata, Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike License 3.0, This page was last edited on 26 March 2022, at 06:33. Although the boy's father did not blame Haast for his son's death, Haast told reporters he wanted nothing else to do with the Serpentarium and, in any event, would never again house crocodiles there. National television shows hosted by Merv Griffin, Mike Douglas and Johnny Carson invited him or featured him during visits to Miami. I grew up near the Serpentarium , and played baseball @ Suniland Park..Many times during games , an iguana that had escaped from the serpentarium , would run across the field..As kids , we too ,sold snakes to the facility , and we managed to see the show several times a yearwe would ride our bikes to Parrot Jungle and the Serpentarium and see all kinds of rare wild animals and snakes , and birds , then fish salt or fresh water within a few miles of homegreat place to grow up in the 60's. "I could become a poster boy for the benefits of venom,'' Mr. Haast boasted. His powerful blood also rescued 21 snake-bite victims. His grey pleated linen trowsers were pressed and as spotless as his egyptian cotton White shirt, topped with a most stunning Pith Helment. The wholesale price is currently $2,500 per vial, and patients can require sometimes dozens of bottles to recover. Many times Haast donated his blood to be used in treating snake-bite victims when a suitable anti-venom was not available. Among them a zoo director from Des Moines, a local construction worker and a Venezuelan father. That gave him a chance to use his toolbox to smuggle snakes, including his first cobra. Every year we took a field trip there, and every year I looked forward to it. I remeber in 1970 when I went to JFK junior high in miami we went on a field trip to the serpentarium I am now 50 years old and never forgot the place.I did make a serious mistake while there that people I tell find hard to believe.there was this hudge round pit with a wall around it, in it was what looked to me like a large stone grey statue of a crcodile well I went in there touched it and one eye opened and I was out of that pit like a rocket.this crocodile was at least 15 feet long it must have been sleeping lucky for me.Bill left a lifetime of memories for a 13 yearold kid the man truely is a legend that has no equal in the reptile world. I read here about the boy who was killed after falling into the crocidile pit. It was slithering across the road, which was about 11 feet across and the snakes head and tail were not clearly visible. It was'nt the aninmal's fault that boy fell into the pit (the alligator was where he was suppose to be. He suffered 17 bites that nearly killed him, one put him in an iron lung for three days, his system paralyzed. My oldest brother had met a girl who, I believe, had worked at the Miami Serpentarium. We had an African Ball Python that had stopped eating, and I remember bringing it with my father to have it fed. The serpentarium was more than just another roadside attraction. The following year, he was bitten by a Timber Rattlesnake, and was said . Green mambas. I remember reading Bill Haast book Cobras in My Garden, one of the most interesting books I have ever read. I witnessed one such snake in 1985 on a dirt road in northeast Florida. He said at that time if he lived to be 100 it would possibly prove that snake venom is anti aging. ``Funny, the very place I wanted to get away from, I now miss. When I opened the box I saw my new pet, a 6 foot beautiful Indigo Snake. When we got the photos back, the film was sun damaged, so the next year I went back to hold the Indigo again and friend, Dave took the picture. ''From the first day I walked into the Miami Serpentarium, I knew that was for me,'' he said. I remember one time that one got the better of him and bit him in the neck. My friend Jim Danaaldson who procured and trained animals for the film industry had set up a Reptile Exposition at Devonshire downs and I was an exhibiter . The Miami Serpentarium, established in1946 as the first-of-it's kind premier and pioneering venom production laboratory in the world, was originated by the Founding Director, W. E. Feature Vignette: Analytics. After dropping out of school at 16, he joined a roadside snake show that made its way to Florida in the late 1920s. (Miami-Dade Corrections & Rehabilitation/WPLG), just before 11 p.m. March 21 at the North Park at Scott Carver apartment complex. I somehow got to this page from an old email I found and did the Google thing for " Bill "Miami Snakeman" Haast " and here I find myself with those shared memories. sailing lessons beaufort, nc . Also wonder if that huge Cobra statue is still on the property..and still scary as hell!!!!!!!!! I, and many other people, really enjoy reading the comments that are left under the photos. Behind him rose an 8-foot concrete cobra statue that once decorated the serpentarium. His hands are gnarled and deadened, some fingers hang immobile, some look stunted in growth, and a pinky and index finger have been amputated at the knuckle, photographs taken by his wife reveal. Amid Harambe Debate, Miami Remembers Deadly Case When Boy Fell Into He said his last snakebite, Number 173 suffered in 2003 -- courtesy of a Malaysian pit viper -- was the final blow to his hands, already mangled from years of enduring the nerve- and tissue-destroying poison that snakes spew when biting. As a girl in the early 60's, I lived down the block from Dr Haast and his family. He has written a book called 'The World of Snakes. ' Another interesting attraction there were the large Galopagas turtles he had. Turns out that I was talking to Bill Hast. There he met and eloped with his first wife, Ann. "I know a lot of people in Miami still remember the Serpentarium and wonder what became of me," he said, "that's why I'm talking to you.''. Haast physically extracted venom from venomous snakes by holding them by the head and forcing them to bite a rubber membrane covering a vial. At the time of the TV airing Mr. Haast was 87 years old and quite handsome he looked no older that early 50s. It was the story of Bill's adventure with the blue krait bite. William E. Haast was born on Dec. 30, 1910, in Paterson, N.J. I recently saw Mr. Hasst on wild kingdon with Jack Hanna (aired 1997 maybe). Reptile World Serpentarium is at 5705 E. Irlo Bronson Memorial Hwy (U.S. 192), St. Nevertheless, researchers have continued to work on drugs made from venom in the hope of using it to treat cancer, Alzheimers and other diseases. I'm surprised to hear the stories about the cobra being damaged enroute to SMSH. Today, a McDonald's and a shopping center sit where the Serpentarium once thrilled. Haast caught his first snake at 7; his first serious bite was at 12. As far as how many times, that will be determined by the autopsy results by the ME office.. BOY KILLED The attraction prospered until a tragedy in 1977. Mr. Haast closed the serpentarium in 1984 after a 6-year-old boy fell into his crocodile pit and was fatally mauled. Boy Dies After Falling Into Crocodile Pit, https://www.nytimes.com/1977/09/04/archives/boy-dies-after-falling-into-crocodile-pit.html. Anyone can read what you share. The Serpentarium opened at the end of 1947, still not completed. Operating from 1946 to 1984, the Serpentarium drew as many as 50,000 annual visitors. 76. I have Ophidiophobia (not herpetophobia the fear of reptiles) a true fear of snakes. Mr. Haast, who was director of the Miami Serpentarium Laboratories, a snake-venom producer near Punta Gorda, Fla., died of natural causes on Wednesday at his home in southwest Florida, his. I notified the person at the gate and soon Mr. Haast himself came out, grabbed the gator, and put him back in the pit. As a result of the damage, Haast gave up handling venomous snakes, and no longer kept any at his facility. Bill Haast died of natural causes Wednesday in Punta Gorda, on Florida's west coast, where he had made his home. I visited the Serpentarium in1969 as an 18-year-old on spring break with a buddy. Hi, my uncle Ted Kundtz just passed away a few months ago and he told me that he had helped out Mr. Haast when he was younger. My father grew up and was born in Paterson, as well. San Jacinto County Sheriff Greg Capers said Saturday . Still recognized as a top authority on venomous snakes, Haast, who moved his snakes to a lab on his sprawling Charlotte County complex in 1990 (he no longer has snakes there), said he answers questions from callers every day. He suddenly dropped his hook and reached in with his hand, and grabbed it then swung it over the heads of the audience. Regarding Bill Haast's killing of Cookie the crocodile, bothe Bill Guest and jesse are wrong. When she reached into the box and found movement inside she shrieked so loudly we could hear her from far across the large garden, and we chuckled "I guess she found it" Someone said. Teen charged with killing 15-year-old in Miami trailer park: cops Boy Dies After Falling Into Crocodile Pit - The New York Times I said yes, I got to feed his snakes white mice, met his daughter (she had a pet lion), used to catch snakes and sell them to Mr. Mr. Haast, who was director of the Miami Serpentarium Laboratories, a snake-venom producer near Punta Gorda, Fla., died of natural causes on Wednesday at his home in southwest Florida, his wife, Nancy, said. The man then went next door with his . I stood, many times, on the grass in the little circle just feet from the Cobra at milking time. The year was 1977 when a young boy tumbled into an enclosure at the Miami. I hope you live to 100 to prove snake venon is an anti aging wonder. As a subscriber, you have 10 gift articles to give each month. Haast, the world-renowned ''Miami snakeman,'' is now 95 and living on a sprawling Punta Gorda ranch with his third wife, Nancy -- and 400 snakes that supply his venom-selling Miami Serpentarium Laboratories. My mother was deathly afraid of snakes but she was a real trooper driving us to Dr. Haas, all the while saying, you better not let that snake go in this car! But I always felt I would live this long. The animal was of no harm to anyone other than the fool who would allow his self to fall in. But Haast had detractors. My Grandfather was a construction worker and used to drop me off there every day over the summer, and weekends when he would work. He landed a job with Miami-based Pan American Airways. I will ask him to sign a copy and send it to you and your brother." June 18, 2011 Bill Haast, who turned his childhood fascination with snakes into an exceptionally long career as a roadside showman, a supplier of venom and a man seemingly immune to the bites of. The snake would bite the mouse, he said in an interview with The Miami Herald in 1984. I found it intriguing.. God bless Mr. Haas, and all the good he has done, on top of the lives he has saved through his bravery and research. THRIVING BUSINESS Despite the medical debacles, the Serpentarium continued to flourish. His wife Nancy says Haast died Wednesday evening, June 15, 2011. A Malayan pit viper mangled an index finger. Join the New Times community and help support I have returned to see his show at thye Serpentarium and have watched him with his wife on the Merv Griffith show & others ( I think also the Jonny Carson Show) many years later. On September 3, 1977, a 6-year-old boy sitting atop the wall surrounding the Serpentarium's alligator and crocodile pit fell into the pit, and a 12-foot crocodile lunged ten feet and grabbed the boy. Myles, Justin (Dec 2000/Jan 2001 Issue). Keep it up Mr. Haast. I'd rather go back in the ocean than back to the Serpentarium! One time, he bought a black snake from Mr. Haast, named it "Rodney" and promptly wrapped it around my neck when my mom wasn't looking. Anyone can read what you share. He was known as the "go-to guy" for snakebites. At 19, he got a job with a roadside snake attraction. including an 8-year-old boy. America is still arguing today about whether the Cincinnati Zoo should have shot and killed Harambe, a 17-year-old male, Become a member to support the independent voice of South Florida WHEN WE WENT TO THE SERPENTARIUM, WE WERE IN THE CROWD WITH MOSTLY OUT OF TOWNERS. Dr. Ben Sheppard mentioned in the article helped me with my drug addiction in 1974. We looked out and could see both Bill and Nancy peeking out from their office with a big grin! View an extensive list of available venoms , William "Bill" Haast (1910 - 2011) was the Pioneer of Venom Production for Venom Research. In his case, he claims the venom has helped him live a long and healthy life -- with the exception of his snakebitten hands. "My So-Called Life", pg. Haast routinely injected himself with venom to build up resistance to the ill effects of the inevitable bites. I'm glad I got to experience that part of S. Florida/s history, visiting The Serpentarium, now part of mine. "Any time I saw an unusual snake I brought it back," Haast said, sitting on cushioned patio furniture. Copyright 2023 Local10.com is published by WPLG INC., a Berkshire Hathaway company. Soon, his quest for exotic snakes stretched around the world. ''I would hide them in my tool box,'' he said. On another visit I was told that the big lump in the python I was looking at was the suckling pig it had swallowed whole and was digesting, I, was surprised to find myself on the ground with ammonia being waved under my nose! While there, a gentleman drove in with a huge python he caught on his property and had in a wire basket. The mouse would die. I helped the staff along with about 6-8 other visitors in straightening out the snake (as much as he would let us), to be measured. Bowker, of New York, pleaded guilty for his role in arranging for 22 snakes to be delivered to the Serpentarium in an apparent swap for the same number of American alligators. Barry Ellis III, a 15-year-old eight-grader at Horace Mann Middle School, was shot and killed at the trailer park at 8050 NW Miami Ct. on Wednesday. He's truly an amazing man who has lived a life of exemplary devotion to his work. THIS SOFT SPOKEN WOMAN TURNED TO HER FAMILY AND SAID "I'VE COME ALL THE WAY TO MIAMI TO HAVE SOME SNAKE S__T ON ME". STAFF PHOTO / ED PFUELLER Order photo Bill Haast, center, is recognized by members of Miami-Dade Fire Rescue Venom Response Unit for his work helping snake-bite victims. Haast saw that a boy had fallen into the crocodile pit. When I was a little girl, we lived in Kendall. I remember Cookie on the lawn, too! Every week, Haast still injects his arm with a cocktail of venom from five snakes -- cobras, mambas, kraits, cottonmouths and rattlesnakes. It was buried on the grounds. What a rush. This is greatl so good to know that Doc is still alive and doing at least some of what he loves best. bill was to capture this cobra and milk it for the crowd. The last snake I had was a 12' burmese python that I owned a few years ago. Funny thing is, he had different ideas about that. People were lining up for a show. ''I know some people have said that about Bill, but he is one of the hardest-working, most diligent, focused individuals you'll ever meet,'' said Van Horn, 62, who worked at the Serpentarium as a young man. Haast eventually returned home, where his mother had leased a concession stand at a lakeside resort. I then got a "thank you". As a young teenager in the mid 1960's I was very interested in all types of reptiles. It is not the critic who counts; not the man who points out how the strong man stumbles, or where the doer of deeds could have done them better. Now close to 60, a S. Floridian I can still remember driving by that concrete cobra many times. Snake Venom Pioneer Bill Haast Dead At 100 - Reptiles Magazine For the first five years Bill, Clarita, and his son were the only staff. i grew -up in south fla. in the sixties through the eighties,reading about bill haast brought back so many great memories.it was a huge treat when my mom and dad would pile all five of us kids in our station wagon a few times a year and spend the day at the miami serpentarium. ( Because they wouldn't let me move here by myself.) The self-described "poster boy for the benefits of venom" briefly operated a bona fide cancer research laboratory on the property and before invention of . Dogs, birds, skunks (if I remember correctly) and of course reptiles. FOR THE MIAMI HERALD King cobras. Since the county revived the antivenin bank in 1998, it has saved 1,000 snake-bite victims, Seigert said. In 1982 when I was twelve I moved from England to Hollywood, Fl with my family. The great legendary Bill Haast, pioneer of venom production for venom research since 1946, was founder and director of the world renowned Miami Serpentarium Laboratories The Depression killed the snake attraction, so Haast went to work for a bootlegger based in the Florida Everglades, until revenue agents busted their still. In the summer of 1972 I was bitten by a pygmy rattle snake in the middle of a subdivision in south Miami. Bill Haast and a cobra at the Miami Serpentarium by Don Boyd His wife Ann did not approve, and they eventually divorced. Before this, the crocodile had lived for 20 years in the pit without incident. PARROT JUNGLE, MONKEY JUNGLE, SEAQUARIUM, ETC. RESEARCH WAS GOAL For Haast, the bites, the snakes and the Serpentarium were only a means to an end. Oh my gosh..I worked on Bill and Nancy's house in P.G 15-20 years agomold issueshumidity problems..put an air exchanger in their snake area to control odorbut had strict guidelines to maintain high humidity.