Cloud, a venom business where the public can pay to watch workers extract venom from snakes. 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. He was known as the "go-to guy" for snakebites. As a young teenager in the mid 1960's I was very interested in all types of reptiles. Pinterest. Apparently the damaged tail had to be amputated afterwards. Bill was sort of surprised but actually seemed happy to see me. Haast calls it one of the lowest points in his life. Dr. Haast met my pediatrician at Baptist Hospital in Miami. Grainy black-and-white television footage from 1962, now part of the Wolfson Archive, shows a fit, toothy 51-year-old Mr. Haast in a hospital recovering from his 79th snake bite his first ever by a King Cobra. Once I found an albino snake and she paid me for it, and then took it to Bill Haast. Look at how big the transplanted Pythons get and that they thrive and fight the alligators in the Everglades. Thank you for the bio of this incredible man. I'll never forget April Fools day there! In 1982 when I was twelve I moved from England to Hollywood, Fl with my family. My oldest brother had met a girl who, I believe, had worked at the Miami Serpentarium. For almost four decades, Haast charmed curious tourists who flocked to his South Dixie Highway attraction, the Miami Serpentarium, to watch his snake show. Today, a McDonald's and a shopping center sit where the Serpentarium once thrilled. including an 8-year-old boy. Inside the bag was a cardboard box with holes in it. Thanks for the memories, as Bob Hope would say. We visited the Serpentarium and it was an amazing experience that I remember vividly to this day. The giant concrete-and-stucco cobra was donated to South Miami Senior High but fell apart during its move to the school. Haast's hands suffered venom-caused tissue damage, culminating in the loss of a finger following a bite from a Malayan pit viper in 2003. His first wife, Ann, divorced him over his snake obsession. I recall the incident where the child died -- it was very tragic and Mr. Haast clearly felt terrible about it. I think that this Dr., was loved by thousands of Miamians, because of him lives are save. I was inspired by him because as kids we used to go all through the Evergaldes looking for snakes to catch. My first visit to the Serpentarium was in the summer of '56 when I visited family friends who lived on Key Biscayne. He was born in 1910 in Paterson, N.J., to German-American parents -- his father was a mechanic, his mom a housewife. I remember him extracting cobra venom too as that was part of a demonstration. In his case, he claims the venom has helped him live a long and healthy life -- with the exception of his snakebitten hands. Back in the 1980's, I lived in the Pepperwood S/D (about one block south of Kendell Drive, just west of Palmetto Expy). As a result of the damage, Haast gave up handling venomous snakes, and no longer kept any at his facility. They gave me nightmares. Now, he believes, the long-term benefits of the shots have spared him from many of the maladies of old age. He flew around the world to donate his antibody-rich blood to 21 different snakebite victims. 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 statement was redacted from the publicly-released report. I saw the "catch and milk" demos and was fascinated. It was damaged by a hurricane in 2005 and they just built a new one. We took 3-4 water snakes there that closely resembled the deadly Water Moccasin, only to be turned away penniless. When you left his exhibit, you loved the snakes, and I hasve never been afraid of them for the rest of my life. The boy's family never sued, accepting only the maximum insurance payment, Haast said. His cane was an exotic mixture of ebony and ivory. Jim F. Thank you for bringing back many many wonderful memories. When he had enough, he opened the Serpentarium in Miami in 1946. When I was a child in the 1950's, Mama made us stay in the house. On a September day in 1977, a small boy visiting the Serpentarium fell into one of the reptile pits and was grabbed by a 12-foot African crocodile. In 1978, one of my first acts as a new husband on my honeymoon was to bring my new bride to the Serp (30 years later and she hasn't forgotten that one) so she could witness what I'd described so many times. He received his first cobra bite less than a year after he started his immunization program. I visited the Serpentarium in1969 as an 18-year-old on spring break with a buddy. But I always felt I would live this long. Watching Bill milk then tube feed special formula into those angry hooded cobras he'd take out of the boxes is something I will never forget. As a subscriber, you have 10 gift articles to give each month. During World War II, he was aboard flights that delivered food and medicine to Africa and Asia. 'There is no reason to visit Miami. "He was into it for the science on how snake venom affected the body," said his grandniece, who worked at The Serpentarium as a teen in the 1980s. "Not to mention pretty damn smart. Every so often the evening news would announce "Bill Haast had been bitten by a poisonous snake AGAIN." His wife Nancy and I had been pleasantly talking an she was so fearful that she held my arm and squeezed hard, all the while telling me that a bite from that king cobra would likely kill Bill , because up to that point he had been bitten some 23 times , but never by a king cobra one drop of which can kill 5 men. 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. Miami-Dade police said they arrived to the scene to find a 16-year-old boy who had a gunshot wound to the back of his head. In my Junior high days, I was a snake enthusiast. The following year, he was bitten by a Timber Rattlesnake, and was said . Even though the Serpentarium was there, some people still got bitten, and died from the poisonous snakes. Haast jumped down into the pit. Tragically, a 6-year-old boy fell in and died in 1977. 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. Editor's Note: We are saddened to learn of the death last Saturday of Dean Ripa, owner of the Cape Fear Serpentarium in downtown Wilmington, North Carolina, and the subject of this beloved 2005 Oxford American feature by our contributing editor Wendy Brenner.Brenner was a finalist for an ASME National Magazine Award in Feature Writing for this story, which was also anthologized in Best . The boy's father and another man, Nicolas Caulineau, jumped into the pit and straddled the crocodile. PARROT JUNGLE, MONKEY JUNGLE, SEAQUARIUM, ETC. Get the latest updates in news, food, music and culture, and receive special offers direct to your inbox. You could have a snake for 30 years and the second you leave his cage door cracked, hes gone, he told Outside magazine in 1997. ''Haast was an iconic figure in the snake world and innovator in the field of venom collecting,'' said Fobb, who keeps a photo of Haast and a king cobra in his office. Eventually Bill charmed that snake and on one of its downstrikes quicker than the snake could react Bill had it behind the head and then as a finale milked a big load of venom. MIAMI, Sept. 3 (UPI)A 6yearold boy tumbled into a crocodile pit at the Miami Serpentarium today and a 14 foot, 1,800pound African crocodile snapped its jaws around the child's middle and dragged him to his death in a small lagoon. There's a picture of me and an indigo snake, probably nearly as long as I was tall. A pair of 911 calls brought both Miami police and Miami-Dade police to 8050 NW Miami Ct. around 4:35 p.m. First responders rushed him to Jackson Memorial Hospital, where he died. The attackers included cobras, a krait, green mambas, a pygmy rattlesnake, a European asp and a palm viper. He placed a live, non-venomous snake into one of the supposedly empty boxes to be cleaned. Haast saw that a boy had fallen into the crocodile pit. My scary moment at the Serpentarium was to see the salt water crock in a deep pit jump up and snap a chicken before it hit the ground! In the first chapter a bunch of young boys are headed to a swimming hole; one boy races ahead and dives in. Luckily I caught myself in time to stop myself from falling in. hoan bridge deaths 2021 . I can't imagine more suitable place than South Florida for Bill Haas's Serpentarium. boy killed by crocodile at miami serpentarium. Haast was also bitten by a green mamba. i would love to read a biography on bill haast or should we say DR.HAAST? Mr. Haast himself indisputably saved lives. When we got home, she handed me a small travel bag that she had carried with her on board the airplane. William "Bill" Haast, director of the Miami Serpentarium Laboratories (which he operated from 1947 to 1984) died June 15 at the age of 100. . However, we kept them because they made good pets. The experiments gave encouraging results, but were still in preliminary clinical trials when the Salk polio vaccine was released in 1955. I, and many other people, really enjoy reading the comments that are left under the photos. There was something unique and special about living old Miami, Its individuals like Bill and The Serpentarium that paved Miami's history in a way like no other place in the world. In his trademark white lab coat, he would approach a venomous reptile, lure it with one hand and grab its head with the other. I rememer Bill Jr. when we rode motorcycles in scramble races out in North Dade. Florida snake expert Bill Haast has died. Miami-Dade police are investigating after a 16-year-old boy was fatally shot late Tuesday night at an apartment complex. Unfortunately, in 1977 a six-year-old boy fell into the crocodile pit at Miami Serpentarium and was killed by "Cookie", a 12-ft-long crocodile. . I'm very glad I did. Cruz called Haast after a man was bitten by a Black Mamba, one of the most poisonous snakes of Africa. Unless otherwise noted under the right bottom of the photo, all images are copyrighted by Don Boyd, Bill Haast and the Miami Serpentarium - recent news articles, SW 128th Street and South Dixie Highway, Dade County, Memories of Old Hialeah, Old Miami and Old South Florida Photo Galleries - largest non-Facebook collection on the internet, Miami Area Tourist and Local ATTRACTIONS Historical Photos Gallery - All Years - click on image to view. Linkedin. Make a one-time donation today for as little as $1. I'm 5'2 from s city in north Jersey myself, and the snake was about my size! ''I hit him over the head, trying to get him to let go.'' My parents stayed at the motel pool, while I was the first one thru the door at the Serpentarium that day. As people gathered close Bill unlatched the door on the end of the cage. Haast eventually sold his family home to buy the land on South Dixie Highway where the Serpentarium would rise. He moved his venom-gathering operation to Utah. it stirred interest faster than the key lime pie and local jelly signs. With his certification, he moved to Miami to work for Pan American World Airways. So it was that the world-renowned Miami Serpentarium began it's life in the vivid imagination of the mind of Bill Haast, on long, tedious flights somewhere over the atlantic ocean during World war II, and it became the pioneering and premier venom production center of the world. 38-year-old Francisco Oropeza was firing a rifle in his yard late at night when his neighbors asked him to stop, San Jacinto County Sheriff Greg Capers said. It was in 1960, I was in my junior year at San fernando Valley State college at Northridge ,California. "If I live to be 100, I'll really make the point.''. I visited the Serpentarium November 22, 1965 while on my Honeymoon with my wife Lynne. 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 We gave Dr.Haast large Andaconda in 1965". and help keep the future of New Times, Use of this website constitutes acceptance of our, who would go on to become the face of Zoo Miami, Associated Press dispatch quoted a wildlife officer, Haast pumped nine shots from a Luger pistol, finally closing the tourist attraction in 1984. I visited The Serpentarium in '78. [8], Haast closed the Serpentarium in 1984, and moved to Utah for a few years. That was in 1971 and I kept that car until 3 years ago when I sold it for 35000.00 in pieces. We considered him the Patron Saint of Junkies in those days. I will admired and respect this wonderful human being for the rest of my life. It taught me an important life lessons about fearto just face fears because most of the time our anxiety really isn't worth it. After the United States entered World War II, Haast served as a flight engineer on Pan Am airliners flying under contract to the United States Army Air Corps. Thanks for putting it up! the shows were fantastic , there was so much to explore everything was clean and the whole haast family were always charming.my family became amateur experts on exotic snakes and have read and watched everything we could over the years.but nothing ever compared to mr. haast. I am now 42 years with a very youthful appearance and in excellent health! Today, out of print, it's coveted by collectors and sells on eBay for more than $100, a testament to Haast's popularity. Anyone can read what you share. She finally agreed to let him keep a snake or two in cages. Children shrieked in horrified glee. The event left Haast shaken and the next day, he shot the 1800-pound crocodile nine times. Haast routinely injected himself with venom to build up resistance to the ill effects of the inevitable bites. The concrete & stucco cobra was the second icon of the Serpentarium. I saw so many people face their phobias of snakes and actually touch one for the first time. Thinking back, that have been Cookie. I will enjoy looking over this site over time. As he announced at the time, Bill killed the croc because he did not want her to become the inevitable freak show instead of a crocodile.Neither revenge nor stress induced fuzzy thinking was involved. We donated it to the serpentarium. As a girl in the early 60's, I lived down the block from Dr Haast and his family. Great memories. THE BAND FROM SOUTH MIAMI HIGH RODE WITH THE COBRA TO THE SCHOOL ON A FLAT BED TRUCK WITH THE BAND HAPPILY PLAYING AND BEATING THEIR DRUMS--SUDDENLY--SEVERAL CARS AHEAD OF ME THE SNAKE --WHICH WAS PLANTED STRAIGHT UP--SUDDENLY FELL APART ON THE TRUCK --JUST SORT OF DISENTAGRATED --AND THE BOTTOM WAS RUINED--BUT A SMALL PART INCLUDING THE HEAD REMAINED-AND APPEARED UNDAMAGED---AND I PRESUME--MADE IT SAFELY TO THE SCHOOL--J. MUDD. The year was 1977 when a young boy tumbled into an enclosure at the Miami. More than twenty of those individuals recovered.[7]. I think its horrible that he killed that animal. There was a croc that had lost its tail because it had bit at it after thinking it was another croc coming to steal its food. The 35' cobra ended up on the roof (south side) of South Miami Senior High-my old high school-where it served proudly for many years. [9] In an August 2008 Florida Trend interview, he stated, "Aging is hard. Reptile World Serpentarium is at 5705 E. Irlo Bronson Memorial Hwy (U.S. 192), St. His second, Clarita, and third, Nancy, pitched in enthusiastically. These flights took him to South America, Africa and India, where he bought snakes to bring back to America, including his first cobra. Haast, then 66, heard the screams and came. The Roberson Funeral Home of Port Charlotte said Friday that arrangements were incomplete. 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. / CBS Miami. 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. Mr. Haast and a Miami doctor treated more than 6,000 people with a snake-venom serum that they and their patients contended was effective against multiple sclerosis and arthritis. Luckily though, I see from visiting one of the links that there is an attraction to view snake milking in St. We used to hunt non-poisonous snakes in the Glades, Homestead farmlands: king snakes, red ratsnakes, yellow ratsnakes, indigos, black racers, etc., and take them down to mr Haas and he had a yardstick on the table and would measure them by the foot, pay us maybe .25cents/foot for the ratsnake, .35/foot for the kingsnakes, etc. This time it came out!
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