Long-time snake handler bitten by poisonous king cobra - Albert Killian

[wcreptiles]

Members of Miami-Dade County's Venom Response Team call him a frequent flier because he's been bitten by venomous snakes so many times.

It happened again this weekend, when long-time snake handler Albert Killian, 52, was cleaning out the cage of a deadly poisonous king cobra. Killian was bitten by a snake he once described as having "enough venom to drop an 8,000-pound elephant."

The animal curator at the non-profit Everglades Outpost Inc. of Homestead was bitten in the left forearm shortly before 3 p.m. Sunday, according to Miami-Dade Capt. Ernie Jillson, who's in charge of Venom Response Team. Killian was taken to Homestead Hospital where he has received more than 20 vials of anti-venin and may receive more today.

"It's an inherent risk that goes along with the job," Jillson said. "When you work with venomous snakes, it's not a matter of if, but when you will get bit. He wasn't doing anything wrong. He was doing what he normally does to take care of the snake." Killian is "through the worst of it" and will likely be released in a few days, Jillson said. The bite from a king cobra can cause internal bleeding and respiratory failure, among other things.

"He was fortunate," Jillson said. "Without our anti-venin bank, he would not have survived."

Miami-Dade County Fire Rescue Department operates the only anti-venin bank of its kind in the United States, Jillson said. The agency has 43 antivenins for an array of reptile, insect and spider bites. It is currently the sole available public source in the U.S. for coral snake anti-venin.

In June, Killian spoke to the Sun Sentinel about the risks of handling venomous snakes and his love for the job. During the interview, he handled several venomous snakes, including the king cobra that bit him Sunday, as well as a coral snake.

During the demonstration, Killian grasped the cobra with bare hands, then bent forward and kissed it on its head. At another point, the snake swiped at Killian's bare leg.

"I've had my heart stop on me once, I've been in respiratory failure three times, and I've been in paralysis three times due to the bites of snakes," Killian said in June. "The worst thing about a neurotoxic bite is when you go into respiratory failure, and go into paralysis, your brain is completely awake. If someone lifts your eyelids, you can see them."

At the time of the interview, Killian told the Sun Sentinel his last venomous snake bite had occurred about four years ago, when a Western diamondback rattlesnake struck him with a single fang during a demonstration for a group of students.

Killian, who first began handling venomous snakes in his 20s, considers every snake bite a learning experience. He acknowledged that the craft is risky, unpredictable business. His left ring finger is permanently crooked from the tissue damage caused years ago by rattlesnake bite.

"Do it well when you it, and don't do it often," Killian told the Sun Sentinel, chuckling.

Sallie James can be reached at [email protected] or 954-572-2019

http://www.sun-sentinel.com/news/local/broward/sfl-1027snake-bite,0,304974.story

 

[MikeCurtin]

Ever see the episode of Miami Animal Cops on Animal Planet? This guy is a foolish showman who takes unnecessary chances. I saw this coming a mile away, and I have NO sympathy for him. While The Everglades Outpost looks like a good place doing a much needed service, this guy detracts from responsible herps keepers everywhere. He talks about the bites he's taken (of his own causing) like they are some kind of badge of honor. It's like he's proud of his poor irresponsible handling skills. This was not an isolated, nor unpreventable incident.

 

[Rattlesnake]

With 32 years of venomous handling experience I am surprised that this happened.
The article states that he was envenomated on his forearm, why was his entire are in the cage with the snake in it.
Why did he not remove the animal to a 55 gal rubber barrell while cleaning the cage.
Sounds like he may not have taken all the proper precautions.
We always remove the snakes from their enclosures at the zoo where I work before we clean their enclosures.

 

[MikeCurtin]

With 32 years of venomous handling experience I am surprised that this happened.
The article states that he was envenomated on his forearm, why was his entire are in the cage with the snake in it.
Why did he not remove the animal to a 55 gal rubber barrell while cleaning the cage.
Sounds like he may not have taken all the proper precautions.
We always remove the snakes from their enclosures at the zoo where I work before we clean their enclosures.

I'm not surprised at all. See if you can find the clip of him on Animal Cops (the exotic episode w/ the Everglades Outpost). You'll see him waving around a rather large King Cobra that had just been captured....I'm not exaggerating...he was WAVING it around. He showed total disregard for his own safety and zero respect for the animals' power...on national television. I show more respect and caution when dealing with my boids than this guy does with newly caught hots in the field!

Why didn't he remove the snake? Because he's careless and cavalier, and when a hot finally kills him, it will be yet another reason to ban the keeping of such species. After all, if this "professional" can't handle them, the public shouldn't either.