Noticing that it had come from Florida, he knew then, he said, that Florida was his destiny. Marker is located in the Pinecrest Town Center parking lot along US 1. That was South Dade, Florida, relatively free of the most venomous snakes because Bill Hass and the Serpentarium. A rare survivor, he declared himself doing "very well, anxious to get back to work.". Back in the 1980's, I lived in the Pepperwood S/D (about one block south of Kendell Drive, just west of Palmetto Expy). After dropping out of school at 16, he joined a roadside snake show that made its way to Florida in the late 1920s. His second, Clarita, and third, Nancy, pitched in enthusiastically. TimesMachine is an exclusive benefit for home delivery and digital subscribers. We lived in Southern California. The same year, a copperheads bite put him in the hospital for a week. It stood almost eye level with Bill and lunged repeatedly as it advanced across the floor toward him. In 1964, a book was written about him. At first he believed his immunization to cobra venom would protect him from the krait venom, and continued with his regular activities for several hours. Amanda Batchelor, Digital Executive Producer. I grew up living close to the Haast's in the 60's. 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. He was a local celebrity known for something really worthwhile (unlike so many celebrities nowadays). We had an iguana that was too large to keep. Soon, his quest for exotic snakes stretched around the world. I have Ophidiophobia (not herpetophobia the fear of reptiles) a true fear of snakes. She took over, and the show went on without a hitch. 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. Thanks for the update on Bill Haast! But the FDA shut it down and banned the drug, saying PROven had not been properly tested for humans. Everyone sold them to the Serpentarium for $1.25/Ft, good money in those days. 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. I was fascinated watching them put Mr Haast's feeding tube down and feed the snake. Small world. I asked him one evening if I could walk with him he said yes in the baritone of gentle command. Looking back I'm glad it was in the dark because I never saw the snake Approximately an hour later my foot started aching and my parents looked all over my legs and feet for a bite mark. independent local journalism in Miami. I'll never forget this experience. His powerful blood also rescued 21 snake-bite victims. The wholesale price is currently $2,500 per vial, and patients can require sometimes dozens of bottles to recover. We got a motel room across the road from the Serpentarium. But he still wakes up each morning to turn snake venom from across the globe into freeze-dried powder for medical laboratories. The seller's address: Eureka, Fla. Haast knew he had to head south, to a warmer climate favored by snakes. This will be of interest to some out there. 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 I liked that his shows were practical and informative with very little hype, but fascinating nonetheless. Detectives said they are hopeful for cooperation and a swift arrest for the teens family. In the late 40's and early 50's I lived in Marathon on the Keys. My Grandfather was a construction worker and used to drop me off there every day over the summer, and weekends when he would work. They all screamed, then everyone had a good laughed together! I am a big guy and I thought we could easily hold him still. Every week, Haast still injects his arm with a cocktail of venom from five snakes -- cobras, mambas, kraits, cottonmouths and rattlesnakes. "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. We gave Dr.Haast large Andaconda in 1965". When you left his exhibit, you loved the snakes, and I hasve never been afraid of them for the rest of my life. Thinking back, that have been Cookie. 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! I remember those two huge crocs, one Nile and one American. Today, out of print, it's coveted by collectors and sells on eBay for more than $100, a testament to Haast's popularity. .mw-parser-output .templatequote{overflow:hidden;margin:1em 0;padding:0 40px}.mw-parser-output .templatequote .templatequotecite{line-height:1.5em;text-align:left;padding-left:1.6em;margin-top:0}, In those days there were no laws prohibiting it, but the crew members didn't appreciate it.[6]. 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. 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. Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipis cing elit. Haast's death-defying act didn't disappoint. ''I miss the excitement of the Serpentarium,'' Haast said. the luckiest leprechaun activities; what is the boiling point of lemon juice; cecil county district court commissioners office. I remember reading Bill Haast book Cobras in My Garden, one of the most interesting books I have ever read. He was born in 1910 in Paterson, N.J., to German-American parents -- his father was a mechanic, his mom a housewife. After his wife became pregnant, Haast lost his job when the speakeasy he was working at was raided by IRS agents. Cloud, Florida and it just so happens that my dad lives there now. CBS News Miami: Free 24/7 News; CBS Miami App; . Consequently, the snakes grew to tremendous lengths, by not being hunted by the indians, and were probably fed leftover game to achieve the fantastic length. 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. A Malayan pit viper mangled an index finger. But thanks to Bill, there were not many poisonous snakes left in South Dade in the 60s-70s when I had an youngsters craving for catching reptiles. When walking down a hallway, I passed an open door. We visited the Serpentarium and it was an amazing experience that I remember vividly to this day. Shame on Hass and the parents this poor animal was slaughtered. "Miami was in Bill's heart to the end," his widow said. The incident left Bill Haast badly shaken. Miami-Dade Fire Rescue pronounced him dead at the scene. I am now 42 years with a very youthful appearance and in excellent health! Copyright 2023 Local10.com is published by WPLG INC., a Berkshire Hathaway company. Luckily though, I see from visiting one of the links that there is an attraction to view snake milking in St. During this time Haast met and married his second wife, Clarita Matthews. I'll never forget April Fools day there! There were others I recall, Monkey Jungle, Parrot Jungle, but none had the that eye catching element of suspense like The Serpentarium. I was inspired by him because as kids we used to go all through the Evergaldes looking for snakes to catch. I remember it sliding around my leg and shaking my leg till it feel off. I regretfully declined. Get browser notifications for breaking news, live events, and exclusive reporting. I saw so many people face their phobias of snakes and actually touch one for the first time. 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.. ''From the first day I walked into the Miami Serpentarium, I knew that was for me,'' he said. On the way from the Fontainebleau Hotel we heard that President Kennedy had been shot. Six years later, he returned to Florida and opened the facility in Punta Gorda, where he raised and milked snakes but did not resume his snake show. The statement was redacted from the publicly-released report. Nya used to take us after hours to the Serpentariumm to watch her Dad and his workers feed the animals. He has written a book called 'The World of Snakes. ' Furthermore, you shouldn't speak about how a parent should have kept a better eye on their dead son. Occasionally the digitization process introduces transcription errors or other problems; we are continuing to work to improve these archived versions. 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. . Thanks Bill for the show and GOD bless. 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. haven't they grown ending explained. Many times Haast donated his blood to be used in treating snake-bite victims when a suitable anti-venom was not available. This official Bill Haast website is being presented in honor of one of the greatest pioneers, visionaries, humanitarians and scientists of all time. As far as I recall, the Cobra on the roof was the one from the Serpentarium. Language links are at the top of the page across from the title. A krait anti-venom was shipped from India, but when it arrived after a 48-hour flight, he refused to accept it. He was shot in the upper torso, said Miami-Dade police Detective Angel Rodriguez. I witnessed one such snake in 1985 on a dirt road in northeast Florida. If you are the site owner (or you manage this site), please whitelist your IP or if you think this block is an error please open a support ticket and make sure to include the block details (displayed in the box below), so we can assist you in troubleshooting the issue. 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! Mr. Haast closed the serpentarium in 1984 after a 6-year-old boy fell into his crocodile pit and was fatally mauled. All he did was yell ouch and that concludes the show for today. People were lining up for a show. ''I hit him over the head, trying to get him to let go.'' When we got home, she handed me a small travel bag that she had carried with her on board the airplane. His wife Ann did not approve, and they eventually divorced. Haast was born in Paterson, New Jersey, in 1910. I cannot imagine what that family will be going through once they find out their 15-year-old wont be coming home, Rodriguez said. By then Cookie, the 12-foot, 2,000-pound crocodile, had the boy in its mouth. 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. Regarding Bill Haast's killing of Cookie the crocodile, bothe Bill Guest and jesse are wrong. In his heyday, he was flown around the world to hospitals where people bitten by rare snakes would have died without his blood. When we said goodby, I knew this was a moment I would remember for the rest of my life. At the same time his work saved dozens of lives. Thank you for the bio of this incredible man. Except for the grey hair and receding hairline I would have said 'hasn't changed a bit". 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. May he live far past the hundreds. Knowing me from my letters, he seemed genuinely interested in the details I told him about my own small collection. 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. I grew up in Miami and loved the Serpentarium. While the rest of the crew was out having fun in the exotic locales, he bought exotic snakes. I remember visiting the Serpentarium on a school field trip when I was in kindergarten, in 1971. It was July, 1972, and my family was making our first visit to the Serpentarium. Our carpet showroom and warehaouse was open on Monday & Friday nights and some very strange noises were heard at night as you would walk through the warehouse. The boy's father and another man, Nicolas Caulineau, jumped into the pit and straddled the crocodile. 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 . That might have occurred, since some recent field guides I have examined do not include haasti. Lots of people like me. Part scientist, part entertainer, Mr. Haast spent his early years in Miami as a mechanic for Pan Am, while he built the snake farm he called The Serpentarium along a portion of U.S. 1 that today is part of Pinecrest. I remember in 3rd grade, back in 1960, one of my classmates dropped her purse into the crocodile pit. Haast retained custody of their son, Bill Jr. and continued to work as a mechanic for Pan Am while he built the Serpentarium. Sometimes a snake would upstage Haast, biting him in front of spectators. Legend has it that the Timacuan indians who lived there before the European settlers arrived, revered these snakes as Gods. Read more about Bill Haast, the founder of the Miami Serpentarium . San Jacinto County Sheriff Greg Capers said Saturday . 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. Not to mention, people do not operate properly during tragic events. boy killed by crocodile at miami serpentarium. In his trademark white lab coat, he would approach a venomous reptile, lure it with one hand and grab its head with the other. Bridgette Matter joined the Local 10 News team as a reporter in July 2021.