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. i would love to read a biography on bill haast or should we say DR.HAAST? (Miami-Dade Corrections & Rehabilitation/WPLG), just before 11 p.m. March 21 at the North Park at Scott Carver apartment complex. 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. The guy that answered the phone was very calm, and told me to just leave it alone and that it would probably just be on it's way. Does anybody on this herpetology board know either the author or title of a novel, published roughly 20 years ago. carpet warehouse became the new home for several large ( 2 to 4 foot ) lizards, which I guess, were living in the trees and were never captured. We had a large clump of banana trees in our back yard, & she had called Mr. Haast to tell him that there was a coral snake down in the undergrowth of it, & could he please come & remove it? On two trips to Florida in the late 60s, my parents took me to The Serpentarium. His unique contribution to medicine earned him widespread recognition. Dr. Ben Sheppard mentioned in the article helped me with my drug addiction in 1974. From Dadeland areafor you have info, on this still. Mr. Haast was bitten at least 173 times by poisonous snakes, about 20 times almost fatally. He was 100. [3] Haast extracted venom from venomous snakes from the time he was a boy. The event left Haast shaken and the next day, he shot the 1800-pound crocodile nine times. ''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. Mr Haast came out at my parents request after thrilling us with a great show. In North Carolina, a chemist offered this salute: "Resssssssst in Peace Bill Haast.". She took over, and the show went on without a hitch. Copyright 2023 by WPLG Local10.com - All rights reserved. boy killed by crocodile at miami serpentarium. But I always felt I would live this long. The year was 1977 when a young boy tumbled into an enclosure at the Miami. 1. canticle of zechariah explained. I was 16 yrs.old and going outside at night with no shoes on and stepped on the snake in the dark. They gave me nightmares. It was in 1960, I was in my junior year at San fernando Valley State college at Northridge ,California. She finally agreed to let him keep a snake or two in cages. It's a shame good things must always come to an end, isn't it? Green mambas. 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. We would eat the snakes, along with all the fish and snapping turtles we could catch from the Lakeland area lakes. local news and culture. It has also shown promise as a medicinal ingredient. 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. Thank you, Dr. Haast, for all your good works and trailblazing in this still to be fully recognized work.and for the fascinating memories. / CBS Miami. ``I feel like a man in his 60s.'' I'm recommending this site to my grandson, Piers and now that I'm a snowbird residing in Ft. Myers part time, I'll keep watching for news of your 100th birthday party! He had a clinic called St. Jude Clinic on SW 8 Street. 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. 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. including an 8-year-old boy. LIVES SAVED But if a life was lost at the Serpentarium, Haast wants it known that transfusions from his immunized blood to snake victims helped save 21 lives. The boy's family never sued, accepting only the maximum insurance payment, Haast said. Linkedin. MIAMI-DADE COUNTY, Fla. A 17-year-old boy has been arrested following the fatal shooting of another teenager at an apartment complex in northwest Miami-Dade, authorities confirmed Tuesday. As a subscriber, you have 10 gift articles to give each month. Florida snake expert Bill Haast has died. "Our unit wouldn't be around if it wasn't for him; he's the inspiration," said Al Cruz, the unit's founder, standing beneath the tall branches of a live oak that Haast had allowed to grow through his screened pool patio. Haast killed the croc the next day. Haast, then 66, heard the screams and came. There were others I recall, Monkey Jungle, Parrot Jungle, but none had the that eye catching element of suspense like The Serpentarium. Thanks for the wonderful memories and great work you have done. These flights took him to South America, Africa and India, where he bought snakes to bring back to America, including his first cobra. The mouse would die. The attraction had a gift shop, 400-pound turtles and a 20-foot python. "When he closed his doors there was a lapse and there were some fatalities related to exotic snake bites," said Chuck Seigert, of the Miami unit. And modern medical researchers are proving him right snake venom fractions are becoming recognized as potent medicines. In the late 40's and early 50's I lived in Marathon on the Keys. He shot the 1800-pound crocodile nine times with a Luger pistol, yet it was still an hour before it died. It was not that far from us and yet we were not fearful. When I was a little girl, we lived in Kendall. Great stories were told on our nightly walks, stories of Africa in the "War" , Safaries, snakes hey we like snakes , Dick gets in troule all the time with his snakes. When they got there, they learned a boy had been shot and was being driven to a hospital. I feel sorry for the young generations that they will never get to see the true mastery of Bill Haast with his serpents. Mr. Hasst brought out a huge 16 foot long King Cobra and kept it controlled on the lawn in front of us. As a joke on him, a staff member placed a rubber snake into one of the boxes that normally held a venomous snake for the show. Then years later I lived in Punta Gorda on Washington Loop, when Bill Haast moved there. The Serpentarium was my childrens favorate place to go on weekends, especially my son who is now grown and still holds a fasination for snakes. It is open 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. Tuesdays through Saturdays and 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Sundays, closed on Mondays. The injections are a routine he began in 1948 -- the year he opened the Serpentarium -- and continued after he closed it in 1984. flashbackmiami.com/2013/11/26/serpentarium-2/, Mozilla/5.0 (iPhone; CPU iPhone OS 15_4_1 like Mac OS X) AppleWebKit/605.1.15 (KHTML, like Gecko) Version/15.4 Mobile/15E148 Safari/604.1. However, the venom eventually did affect him, and he was taken to a hospital where it took him several days to recover. Today, Van Horn owns Reptile World Serpentarium near St. Haast eventually returned home, where his mother had leased a concession stand at a lakeside resort. But none the less just because Mr. Hass felt bad about what happened he, Haas, shot the alligator for no reason. "And in the end the research could take care of itself.". 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. In 1990 he moved to Punta Gorda, Florida, with his snakes, where he established the Miami Serpentarium Laboratories. While there, a gentleman drove in with a huge python he caught on his property and had in a wire basket. As a subscriber, you have 10 gift articles to give each month. Smocks. Bill Haast Wiki & Bio During this time Haast met and married his second wife, Clarita Matthews. I also remember Mrs. Haast coming to the schools, all the way into my sophomore year at Gables High, to talk about their work - and the high point of her talks was when she would take an indigo snake out of her purse and invite everyone to feel it. Before this, the crocodile had lived for 20 years in the pit without incident. His first king cobra bite was in 1962. Occasionally the digitization process introduces transcription errors or other problems; we are continuing to work to improve these archived versions. At the time I envisioned growing up and working for Bill, learning to snatch & milk snakes. The bootlegger was arrested, and Mr. Haast found his way to an airline mechanics school. The snake attraction soon failed during the Depression, so Mr. Haast went to work for a bootlegger in the Everglades, where he was pleased to find plenty of snakes. I remember him extracting cobra venom too as that was part of a demonstration. William E. Haast was born on Dec. 30, 1910, in Paterson, N.J. My Grandfather was a construction worker and used to drop me off there every day over the summer, and weekends when he would work. His next bite, later the same year, came from a four-foot copperhead. A krait anti-venom was shipped from India, but when it arrived after a 48-hour flight, he refused to accept it. He was 100. Like for so many others, the Serpentarium was a place of wonder for me in my youth. Eventually, his collection became one of the most diverse venomous snakes on the planet. Six years later, he returned to Florida and opened the facility . While the rest of the crew was out having fun in the exotic locales, he bought exotic snakes. We got a motel room across the road from the Serpentarium. Police are searching for the shooter and the murder weapon used. We entered the Serpentarium and a fellow (Haas) walked out of the back office to greet the tourists and said" he's dead" referring to John F. Kennedy, President of the USA. Having said all that, thank you Mr. Haas for all your wonderful work with snakes. This subspecies, restricted to the Florida Keys, obviously was named for Bill Haast. Even though this article is of the Snakeman as we called him I want to comment a special person. Nice to see the photos again. The latest local, regional and national news events of the morning are presented by the Local 10 News Team along with updated sports, weather and traffic. Bill Jr. eventually left, having lost interest in snakes, but not before he had been bitten four times by venomous snakes. The whole experience seemed to do the trick, as he never displayed such fear of snakes again after that. I remember him as a very genuine, nice man. 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 He was carrying a snake-bite kit, and had a friend inject him with antivenom; the bite hospitalized him for a week. Amanda Batchelor, Digital Executive Producer. BILL TOLD THE CROWD NOT TO WORRY, "IT'S ONLY CALCIUM". "[7], Haast turned 100 in December 2010[10] and died on June 15, 2011.[1]. The Serpentarium opened at the end of 1947, still not completed. I was 11 in 1972 when my folks agreed to stop at the Serpentarium when our family of seven drove down from Massachusetts to Key West for February school vacation. Haast jumped down into the pit. Supposedly, this Timacuan sub-species and the nearby Mexican Bush Master are the largest poisonous snakes in the world and Bill Hass had both of them in his World famous Serpentarium. As my mother was paying our admission, a worker rushed over to tell us that we were going to miss the King cobra show. I have such respect for Mr. Haast and for all of his work. And a bit crazy. 25 39.145 N, 80 19.797 W. Marker is in Pinecrest, Florida, in Miami-Dade County. Reptile World Serpentarium in St. Cloud | VISIT FLORIDA "My So-Called Life", pg. MIAMI (CBS4)- The man who mesmerized generations of paying customers from 1947 to 1984 by extracting venom at his Miami Serpentarium as a spine-tingling South Florida attraction is dead. He respected him very much. His grey pleated linen trowsers were pressed and as spotless as his egyptian cotton White shirt, topped with a most stunning Pith Helment. Thank you for the bio of this incredible man. It stood almost eye level with Bill and lunged repeatedly as it advanced across the floor toward him. People were always getting bitten, but they are so small that they rarely killed anyone. William "Bill" Haast, director of the Miami Serpentarium Laboratories (which he operated from 1947 to 1984) died June 15 at the age of 100. . Mr. Haast fished it out with a long pole after the big croc took a bite of it. Others joined Haast. I wish I could have taken my girls there! 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. Bill HAAST and the MIAMI SERPENTARIUM Photo Gallery - click on image to view tree view | thumbnails | slideshow: . In 1954 Haast was bitten by a common, or blue, krait. When we said goodby, I knew this was a moment I would remember for the rest of my life. It was a rattle snake. 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. My "fondest" memory: sitting on the side of the crock pit with my butt hanging over the edge, the wall wasn't but a couple feet tall, right? Thanks for the update on Bill Haast! When our son was very small, he was afraid of snakes. William Haast at his Miami Serpentarium in the 1950's. 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. I always told people I'd live past 100, and I still feel I will. His dream of creating a snake sanctuary grew nearer. ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Snake man is master of poison and cure Bill Haast, 97, is lauded for pioneering work with snake venom By Kate Spinner Sarasota Herald-Tribune Published: Friday, July 11, 2008 at 4:30 a.m. CHARLOTTE COUNTY - Bill Haast's 97-year-old fingers, withered by scores of snake bites, are too weak to handle cobras and pit vipers anymore. 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. As a result of the damage, Haast gave up handling venomous snakes, and no longer kept any at his facility. As a result of handling these snakes, Haast had been bitten 172 times by mid-2008,[4] all of which but the last few were validated by the Guinness Book of World Records "for surviving the most deadly snake bites", a distinction Haast disliked as he did not think being bitten was a goal to be attained or admired.[5]. Now close to 60, a S. Floridian I can still remember driving by that concrete cobra many times. I live in Sarasota now and totally enjoy the water, I think those times are responceable. After closing up shop, Haast spent a few years in Utah before moving back to Punta Gorda and reopening his snake farm sans the showmanship. Haast maintained a similar bank in Miami when he ran the Serpentarium theme park, which closed in 1984. I remember Cookie on the lawn, too! BILL PUT ON HIS MILKING SHOW WHEN A SNAKE IN BILL'S HAND WIGGLED AROUND AND SPRAYED A WHITE LIQUID FROM THE REAR OF THE SNAKE INTO THE CROWD AND ACROSS THIS WOMEN'S LEGS IN FRONT OF US. I remember visiting the Serpentarium on a school field trip when I was in kindergarten, in 1971. ''I could become a poster boy for the benefits of venom,'' Haast jokes. And we often talked of many things when she came in to South Dixie Amoco to have the well-maintained car serviced. 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. 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. I stood, many times, on the grass in the little circle just feet from the Cobra at milking time. As the snakes slithered and slide across the table he was working on the crowd jumped back gasping except me I think I eased even closer. I worked at the Serpentarium for roughly a year, about two years before it closed. He also left three grandchildren, two great-grandchildren and two great-great-grandchildren. ", Twitter accolades came in from across the globe. Bill Haast dies at 100: Florida snake man provided venom for snakebite We took 3-4 water snakes there that closely resembled the deadly Water Moccasin, only to be turned away penniless. Bill Haast and the Miami Serpentarium - recent news articles An eastern diamondback rattlesnake left one hand looking like a claw. Their daughters, Nya and Shantee probably do not even remeber me (it was in the early seventies). MIAMI-DADE COUNTY, Fla. The person who shot and killed a 15-year-old boy is on the run. Set in the American South in the 20th century. See, when a poisonous snake bites you, and his fangs (having hypodermic-like hollow holes at their points) inject their venom , they are in fact "digesting" you while you diethe venom is softening up your tissue, destroying it, making you easier to eat, digesthence Mr. Haas' fingers were so deformed? Report: 350+ Books Banned in Florida School Districts Since Last July, Uber, Lyft Drivers Strike at Florida Airports to Demand Livable Wages, All 200+ Books Banned in Florida and What Miami Booksellers Have to Say About It, Miami Dolphins Fan Guide to the 2023 NFL Draft, Shareholders Reeling in Wake of Miami SPAC-Merger Deals, Carollo Abuse-of-Power Trial Moves Forward in Wake of Jury-Tampering Claim. Today Dec26, 2008 I am looking at his picture some 45 years later and hooks the same. He would tell us stories about going to Boy Scout Camp with this extraordinary man, Bill Hasst. My Dad would take me there often, we lived in South Miami (as I do againlong story). Luckily though, I see from visiting one of the links that there is an attraction to view snake milking in St. 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. Miami-Dade police are investigating after a 16-year-old boy was fatally shot late Tuesday night at an apartment complex. In his case, he claims the venom has helped him live a long and healthy life -- with the exception of his snakebitten hands. That photo is one of my favorite collectables. Once I found an albino snake and she paid me for it, and then took it to Bill Haast. I witnessed one such snake in 1985 on a dirt road in northeast Florida. Miami-Dade Fire Rescue pronounced him dead at the scene. It also had a pit with a 12-foot crocodile named "Cookie" who weighed, literally, a ton. Now 39, he is a member of the rescue department's anti-venin unit that rushes to inject those bitten by a poisonous snake. I was inspired by him because as kids we used to go all through the Evergaldes looking for snakes to catch. The man then went next door with his . I was about 9 yrs old, and always remembered the story vividly. And now, 66 years later, it can be said unequivocally that Bill . Haast still grows somber when retelling the story: It was a Sunday. Every week, Haast still injects his arm with a cocktail of venom from five snakes -- cobras, mambas, kraits, cottonmouths and rattlesnakes. June 18, 2011 / 3:12 PM ''I hit him over the head, trying to get him to let go.'' He had done research for a polio vaccine and sought a cure for multiple sclerosis. Those were great times and i'll never forget them! I remember seeing an alligator gulping down whole chickens and being allowed to handle an Indigo snake after Mr. Haast's presentation. Haast went to the pit with a pistol the very next day and shot the croc. I will think of my uncle as I visit. What amemorable time, nobody was dissapointed and we all calmed down and talked quietly afterwaeds. THRIVING BUSINESS Despite the medical debacles, the Serpentarium continued to flourish. His cane was an exotic mixture of ebony and ivory. Creator Of Miami Serpentarium Dies At 100 - CBS Miami - CBS News sailing lessons beaufort, nc . We watched Mr. Haast with fascination as he milked the snakes. I followed his instructions and he was right. It was July, 1972, and my family was making our first visit to the Serpentarium. On the 2nd trip, an entire day was planned for me there. When I was young I was always interested in snakes. When you left his exhibit, you loved the snakes, and I hasve never been afraid of them for the rest of my life. Lots of people like me. Cloud. RESEARCH WAS GOAL For Haast, the bites, the snakes and the Serpentarium were only a means to an end. I'm glad I got to experience that part of S. Florida/s history, visiting The Serpentarium, now part of mine. ''At 95, he doesn't like to do anything that takes time away from his lab work,'' added his wife. People were lining up for a show. Copyright 2023 by WPLG Local10.com - All rights reserved. Twitter. not on the animals, or even the people walking around. I am so glad to have found this site. I grew up living close to the Haast's in the 60's. They paid my mother something like $10 or more for the snake. 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. He is truely an extraordinary man. "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. Thanks for the memories, as Bob Hope would say. That was in 1971 and I kept that car until 3 years ago when I sold it for 35000.00 in pieces. At the same time his work saved dozens of lives. Anyone can read what you share. I still miss the animals. Reptile World Serpentarium is at 5705 E. Irlo Bronson Memorial Hwy (U.S. 192), St. He loved his animals and was deeply committed to bringing them to the world in an educated, and respectful manner. He moved his venom-gathering operation to Utah. 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. But Haast no longer can handle the forked-tongued killers that made him famous. Thanks again Bill.. 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 . We watched the show (I don't remember if the presenter was Mr. Haast), and afterwards, Scot was encouraged to touch several 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. He gathered 400 cobras and took his findings to a University of Miami researcher. [4] As of 2008 he continued to have his wife inject him with small amounts of snake venom. During the 1950s, he was bitten by cobras about twenty times. For almost four decades, Haast charmed curious tourists who flocked to his South Dixie Highway attraction, the Miami Serpentarium, to watch his snake show. TimesMachine is an exclusive benefit for home delivery and digital subscribers. A Venomous Price to Pay In recent years, snakebite victims have been billed hundreds of thousands of dollars for antivenom. I visited The Serpentarium in '78. In the late 1940s, it occurred to Haast that the symptoms of polio mirrored the nerve and muscle disruption caused by a cobra bite. 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. He was bitten for the first time at summer camp a year later, when he tried to capture a small timber rattlesnake. He was a great neighborhhod Dad, and I will always remember the fun we had with he, his wife and his children. RIP kind soul. He briefly lived in Utah and returned to Florida to live in Charlotte County 18 years ago. He bought a plot of land facing U.S. 1, south of Miami, then sold his house and started construction on the Serpentarium. Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipis cing elit. Haast and his teenage son, Bill Jr., began constructing snake pits, the beginning of the Serpentarium. Teen boy shot dead at a Miami area trailer park, cops say | Miami Herald boy killed by crocodile at miami serpentarium Haast is still trying to prove a point: He'll go to his grave believing venom can heal. My parents stayed at the motel pool, while I was the first one thru the door at the Serpentarium that day.
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