IE 11 is not . He had so much venom in him that we were told even a bee sting could kill him. I grew up in Miami and loved the Serpentarium. Today Dec26, 2008 I am looking at his picture some 45 years later and hooks the same. Bill Jr. eventually left, having lost interest in snakes, but not before he had been bitten four times by venomous snakes. World Crocodile attack Indonesia Crocodiles Alligator. But Haast no longer can handle the forked-tongued killers that made him famous. But he felt he couldn't continue to feed the crocodile and display him under these conditions.. We visited the Serp many times as a family visiting from Illinois and I have an autographed copy of Cobras In His Garden along with several movies that I gotta get moved over to DVD's.. Doc always took time to shake hands or pose for a picturetime that in retrospect I know he didn't really have to give, but he always did. He applied the standard snake-bite treatment of the time (making crossed cuts over the fang marks and applying potassium permanganate) and then walked four miles to the camp's first aid tent, by which time his arm was swollen. He received the key to the city.Those same hands that for decades eased venom from the world's most poisonous snakes held the key to the city of Miami on Thursday. Now the spotlight is on three other deaths that are linked to the case. Five alligators have already been caught in the lagoon and euthanised for analysis. 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. Jim F. Thank you for bringing back many many wonderful memories. Except for the grey hair and receding hairline I would have said 'hasn't changed a bit". But the reptile managed to crawl away into a moat in the 50foot square pit, dragging the child with him. The original cobra was a metal structure that was twisted into oblivion by a rare tornado in the late 50's or early 60's. We had an African Ball Python that had stopped eating, and I remember bringing it with my father to have it fed. When we said goodby, I knew this was a moment I would remember for the rest of my life. 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. For almost four decades, Haast charmed curious tourists who flocked to his South Dixie Highway attraction, the Miami Serpentarium, to watch his snake show. 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. Every year we took a field trip there, and every year I looked forward to it. On two trips to Florida in the late 60s, my parents took me to The Serpentarium. I also remember hearing a story about him saving the lives of GI`s in Vietnam who had jumped from a helicopter into some poisonous snakes. It also had a pit with a 12-foot-long crocodile called "Cookie" that weighed, literally, a ton. I don't remember how long he was but I DO remember how strong he was. The crocodile is suspected of eating a farmer who went missing in July in the town of Bunawan, and of killing a 12-year-old girl whose head was bitten off two years before. I always told people I'd live past 100, and I still feel I will. One particular snake that I remember from my childhood visits to the Serpentarium was a big, oversized Florida Eastern Diamond Back rattlesnake. Horses had developed resistance to the poisons through the same process, and the blood of those horses was used to create life-saving antivenin. Haast died June 15, 2011 at age 100. Ditto for Miami-Dade Fire Rescue Lt. Jeffrey Fobb, who frequented shows as a boy. "I am not going to stay here, because just as they protect those animals, they are capable of leaving the river to attack more people and the truth is that it is scary that something like this will happen again. This is greatl so good to know that Doc is still alive and doing at least some of what he loves best. ``I feel like a man in his 60s.'' Bill and Nanvy were the guest attraction and Bill has with them a 12' hamadrayad, (King Cobra) which was un a 4x4x8 gkass fronted cage identical to that in which the sidewinders were displayed. I was a good friend with Bill Haast's grandson Willie, He and I would catch snakes and bring them to the Surpentarium, I also would go camping in the everglades with Willie and his sister pinkie and their mom and dad, we would swim in the water around gaters and catch snakes. At the time I envisioned growing up and working for Bill, learning to snatch & milk snakes. No matter where we went, Miami was Bill's real home. 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. 'There is no reason to visit Miami. In 1984, Haast, who is said to have never fully recovered from the . I have Ophidiophobia (not herpetophobia the fear of reptiles) a true fear of snakes. Bill was sort of surprised but actually seemed happy to see me. Bowker had hooked. The resorts beach pool is next to the lake and overlooks the Seven Seas Lagoon. 1, my mother carrying a large snake onboard an airplane, and no. I am transferring my old pictures to new albums and came across our photos at The Serpentarium in 1973 when we were there with our family while on vacatin. Haast still grows somber when retelling the story: It was a Sunday. I followed his instructions and he was right. Eventually, his collection became one of the most diverse venomous snakes on the planet. Haast's second wife, Clarita, simply narrated, setting the mood for the audience. A small alligator, maybe 5 foot with tail had gotten loose and was wandering. Thank you for reminding me about this incredible man. My father used to deliver popcorn to the Miami Serpentarium in the late 60's early 70's and I used to love to watch Mr. Haast handle the King Cobras. [2] After closing the Serpentarium, he opened the Miami Serpentarium Laboratories, a facility in Punta Gorda, Florida that produced snake venom for medical and research use. I would see him periodically. For some in Miami, though, the whole debate has stirred up painful memories of another tragic incident. AJ Jain, a guest at the hotel, told The Orlando Sentinel he and his family were playing at the beach just hours earlier. Haast physically extracted venom from venomous snakes by holding them by the head and forcing them to bite a rubber membrane covering a vial. The cobra that Elliot Arkin made was the one inside the building across from the office. They moved to Florida so that Haast could pursue his dream of opening a "snake farm". Haast was born in Paterson, New Jersey, in 1910. When he was 19 he joined a man who had a roadside snake exhibit, and went with him to Florida. Haast's mental trauma over the boy's death eventually led to the closure of the Serpentarium on South Dixie Highway. This tornado also picked up a dredge crane, working on one of the drainage canals, and placed it across the canal without any significant damage. At the UM, Haast led in the testing of the serum on monkeys. He was able to identify the type of snake that bit me by the bite marks. In his heyday, he was flown around the world to hospitals where people bitten by rare snakes would have died without his blood. A crocodile seized a 5-year-old boy and dragged him into a river in western Mexico as his parents watched, according to authorities who said the child's body was found Thursday. Two swimmers taking an early morning dip in a Florida canal have earned the dubious distinction of becoming the first humans in the United States to be bitten by an American crocodile . ''I know a lot of people in Miami still remember the Serpentarium and wonder what became of me, that's why I'm talking to you,'' said Haast, who would only be interviewed by telephone. Miami is a hotbed for venomous snake bites because it is the entry point for almost any exotic snake, whether it is bound for a collector or a zoo in another state. Orange County Sheriff Jerry Demings confirmed that the toddlers body was found in the water about 3.30pm, local time, after more than 15 hours of searching the Seven Seas Lagoon in Orlando, Florida. He gathered 400 cobras and took his findings to a University of Miami researcher. An estimated 1,000 people every year are killed in crocodile attacks, many more than by sharks. flashbackmiami.com/2013/11/26/serpentarium-2/, Mozilla/5.0 (iPad; CPU OS 15_5 like Mac OS X) AppleWebKit/605.1.15 (KHTML, like Gecko) GSA/219.0.457350353 Mobile/15E148 Safari/604.1. Born William E. Haast on Dec. 30, 1910 in Paterson, N.J., he was a South Florida celebrity for surviving successive venomous snakebites. That was South Dade, Florida, relatively free of the most venomous snakes because Bill Hass and the Serpentarium. Alligator seen dragging child into the water. I liked that his shows were practical and informative with very little hype, but fascinating nonetheless. Voted for the photo and the biographical info. After many years of being a Bill Haast fan, I was thrilled to be there. Knowing me from my letters, he seemed genuinely interested in the details I told him about my own small collection. I have such respect for Mr. Haast and for all of his work. Friday, his wife Nancy put his lifetime tally at 172. Access from your Country was disabled by the administrator. Bill is a true forward thinker and an inspiration to all herpetologists. 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. Children shrieked in horrified glee. This is a digitized version of an article from The Timess print archive, before the start of online publication in 1996. The findings were very encouraging, Haast said. He suffered 17 bites that nearly killed him, one put him in an iron lung for three days, his system paralyzed. I feel sorry for the young generations that they will never get to see the true mastery of Bill Haast with his serpents. I'd rather go back in the ocean than back to the Serpentarium! He closed up the business in 1984, moved to Utah for a few years but returned to Florida in 1990, and settled in a Punta Gorda ranch with Nancy, his third wife, and some 400 snakes that supplied his Miami Serpentarium Laboratories. At 19, he got a job with a roadside snake attraction. Demings said there had been no other recent reports of similar alligator attacks on the lake. I believe that it was one of the great thrills of my life. Later that day, boy did he get back at the girl that had done this. the coolest thing i remember is the sighn bill had on the stage while he was milking his terrorfying snakes "there is nothing more exciting then watching danger from a safe distance". I could see their fears fade as they got the nerve to touch a real snake and realize that is wasn't slimy. Newsweek has contacted crocodile experts for comment. What amemorable time, nobody was dissapointed and we all calmed down and talked quietly afterwaeds. I am wondering if that was the same pit the young boy had fallen into. brightcove.createExperiences (); The toddler who was snatched by an alligator at a Disney resort in Orlando, Florida, on Tuesday, died as a result of . Most people working in the biological field take some pride in having a species or subspecies named for them, but Haast seemed to have none of that. Look at how big the transplanted Pythons get and that they thrive and fight the alligators in the Everglades. "It was his adopted city. My hands served me well.'' Drivers passing the former site of. 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. Bill was an outstanding dedicated man. Sheppard gave injections to patients with MS. His clinic became famous and was featured on CBS's 60 Minutes. On that trip, I held the very long Indigo snake, and my friend, Ann, took a picture of me. A 911 call was received at 9.16pm local time. It is unclear whether the attack was fatal. In 1949, he began supplying venom to a medical researcher at the University of Miami for experiments in the treatment of polio. We watched the show (I don't remember if the presenter was Mr. Haast), and afterwards, Scot was encouraged to touch several snakes. CANCUN -- A 12-year-old boy who was bitten by a crocodile at a Mexican resort spoke to "Good Morning America" on Wednesday in his first television interview. He had a clinic called St. Jude Clinic on SW 8 Street. My girlfiends and I would catch 7 - 8 foot Indio snakes and we would beg my mother to drive us over to the Serpentarium so we could sell the snakes to Dr. Haas. When our son was very small, he was afraid of snakes. My uncle introduced me to the Florida Eastern Diamondback that grew up to 6 feet in length. Occasionally the digitization process introduces transcription errors or other problems; we are continuing to work to improve these archived versions. other sizes: small original auto previous | next Unless otherwise noted under the right bottom of the photo, all images are copyrighted by Don Boyd comment | share His cane was an exotic mixture of ebony and ivory. It stood almost eye level with Bill and lunged repeatedly as it advanced across the floor toward him. I can't imagine more suitable place than South Florida for Bill Haas's Serpentarium. I . Find out more about our policy and your choices, including how to opt-out. I gave Dr. Hasst an iguana that got too large for me to keep and from then on he let me come in for free.. I can still recall watching a 12 or 14 ft gator, said to have been the largest but for its missing tail. And a bit crazy. When asked if Disney was aware of alligators on the property, Wahaler advised there were signs that said no swimming. Even though the Serpentarium was there, some people still got bitten, and died from the poisonous snakes. I will ask him to sign a copy and send it to you and your brother." Their daughters, Nya and Shantee probably do not even remeber me (it was in the early seventies). They gave me nightmares. Several people on social media said the child was on the beach at the time watching a movie. His next bite, later the same year, came from a four-foot copperhead. I asked him one evening if I could walk with him he said yes in the baritone of gentle command. Authorities contacted the boys family to express their condolences, Sheriff Demings said, adding there is no question we will lose a two-year-old child. ``Funny, the very place I wanted to get away from, I now miss. He placed a live, non-venomous snake into one of the supposedly empty boxes to be cleaned. ''I miss the excitement of the Serpentarium,'' Haast said. Addressed to Guest: How dare you ever get on a site, and reproach a man for his dispair over the loss of an innocent 6 year old boy. From The Miami Herald, August 3, 2006 FLASHBACK | THE MIAMI SERPENTARIUM 'Miami snakeman' is 95 and still injects himself with venom BY LUISA YANEZ lyanez@MiamiHerald.com IN PUNTA GORDA: Bill Hasst sold his Miami Serpentarium site in Pinecrest in 1984, and settled in southwest Florida. These flights took him to South America, Africa and India, where he bought snakes to bring back to America, including his first cobra. Haast eventually returned home, where his mother had leased a concession stand at a lakeside resort. With his certification, he moved to Miami to work for Pan American World Airways. 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. A krait anti-venom was shipped from India, but when it arrived after a 48-hour flight, he refused to accept it. Myles, Justin (Dec 2000/Jan 2001 Issue). We got a motel room across the road from the Serpentarium. We had an iguana that was too large to keep. The boy's father and another man, Nicolas Caulineau, jumped into the pit and straddled the crocodile. Zoo director Thane Maynard said the zoos dangerous animal response team decided the boy was in a life-threatening situation and they needed to put down the 200kg male gorilla. The victim, identified as Stambuli Bamusi, along with his friends, had gone . FOR THE MIAMI HERALD King cobras. Haast retained custody of their son, Bill Jr. and continued to work as a mechanic for Pan Am while he built the Serpentarium. Dogs, birds, skunks (if I remember correctly) and of course reptiles. With 43 types of antivenin, a diverse enough supply to treat 90 percent of all bites, the unit's antivenin bank supplies the U.S. military and hospitals around the nation -- sometimes the world. To preserve these articles as they originally appeared, The Times does not alter, edit or update them. Well he is alive and well at the age of 97or 98 and still apparently working with snakes; he said he felt there would come a time when he would not be able work with them but I guest he still is. Back in the 1980's, I lived in the Pepperwood S/D (about one block south of Kendell Drive, just west of Palmetto Expy). The injections are a routine he began in 1948 -- the year he opened the Serpentarium -- and continued after he closed it in 1984. joe pylandgrew up at sunniland park two blocks from the serpentarium.Remember it well..Billy..the grandson ran over my arm in 1962 with his bike..breaking it and I missed the 1st 6 weeks of Khoury League.Remember Haast tamping alsoThis man was incredidle and brave. I am a big guy and I thought we could easily hold him still. I wish I could have taken my girls there! While the rest of the crew was out having fun in the exotic locales, he bought exotic snakes. We will have to go and visit the place that a man built who was inspired by Mr. Haast. REMAINS of a fourteen-year-old boy have been pulled from inside a crocodile's belly after he was eaten alive. "Any time I saw an unusual snake I brought it back," Haast said, sitting on cushioned patio furniture. Furthermore, you shouldn't speak about how a parent should have kept a better eye on their dead son. In the first chapter a bunch of young boys are headed to a swimming hole; one boy races ahead and dives in. It became bigger than I expected,'' he said. I. Woww! killed David Mark Wasson of West Palm Beach, Fla. What a rush. Great job on the article! I came upon a reference to a varieth of the black racer that bears the name Coluber constrictor haasti. While he was extracting venom from a small cobra, he was struck on the thumb and calmly told his wife that he was going to lie down for awhile. I am now 42 years with a very youthful appearance and in excellent health! independent local journalism in Miami. In North Carolina, a chemist offered this salute: "Resssssssst in Peace Bill Haast.". Haast eventually sold his family home to buy the land on South Dixie Highway where the Serpentarium would rise. I cant imagine what those parents are going through. Boy Dies After Falling Into Crocodile Pit, https://www.nytimes.com/1977/09/04/archives/boy-dies-after-falling-into-crocodile-pit.html. Mr Haast came out at my parents request after thrilling us with a great show. I remember him as a very genuine, nice man. THE body of a two-year-old boy snatched by an alligator at a Disney resort has now been recovered. At the time of the TV airing Mr. Haast was 87 years old and quite handsome he looked no older that early 50s. Finding this site reminds me what saints my parents were! "He'd put on a show just to supplement the research for the while," she said. I recall going with my brother to the airport to pick her up upon her arrival. Early in Haast's career, he slogged the wilds of the Everglades collecting cottonmouths and rattlers.
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