# Career in venomous



## alfiealbino (Nov 25, 2007)

Hi, i was wondering whether there are any careers in the uk that would involve working with DWA reptiles? I am currently studying for a BSC (H) in animal management so hopefully the science part of the degree will give me a good grounding into understanding how the venom works etc. I would also like to know if anyone in kent keeps DWA as i would be keen to learn...i am a falconer so could offer hunting trips in return for knowledge.

Many thanks, Ben


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## paulrimmer69 (Oct 26, 2008)

three guesses who the best person to answer that is???? il give u a clue, it isnt viperlover!


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## xxstaggyxx (Oct 22, 2008)

paulrimmer69 said:


> three guesses who the best person to answer that is???? Il give u a clue, it isnt viperlover!


pdr


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## alfiealbino (Nov 25, 2007)

Pdr? What does that mean?

Ben


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## xxstaggyxx (Oct 22, 2008)

alfiealbino said:


> Pdr? What does that mean?
> 
> Ben


PDR is a member on here who works with venomus snakes on a daily basis as his job he would be the best member to seek advice from


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## PDR (Nov 27, 2008)

Sorry for the delay in answering this, been very busy here.

I would say that Zoos or Safari Parks would be your best option. When it comes to science based research, there are only two places in the UK that keep any venomous snakes as far as I know and that is the University of Wales, Bangor and ourselves here in Liverpool. I look after our collection on a day-to-day basis with some back up from other members of our Unit. I think Wolfgang has one Technician caring for the snakes at Bangor.If we ever did take anyone else here at LSTM (to help me out) it would be part time.

It is very difficult to find such jobs as we have been trying to tell young ViperLover (without success) but one of your many advantages over that silly kid is that you are already working with falcons.... birds that need specialist husbandry and skills... (my family kept raptors for many years and I can still tie jesses with my eyes closed).

Regards,
Paul


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## nitro (Dec 8, 2009)

I like your signature quote PDR. :lol2:


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## slippery42 (Mar 23, 2008)

As Paul says zoos are your best hope, however my understanding of zoos is that pay levels are probably very low and you'd need to look at it with that in mind. There are a few keepers and ex-keepers on the forum who may chip in with more information.

Anyway good luck and keep at it.


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## PDR (Nov 27, 2008)

nitro said:


> I like your signature quote PDR. :lol2:


Thanks, I’m sure they will take what he thinks of them into consideration if he ever puts in an DWAL application :lol:


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## yayyay (Dec 11, 2009)

Is voluntary work hard to get into?

I imagine, even that has competition


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## leecb0 (Apr 14, 2009)

I have never worked for a zoo as such but have worked with and within them. There is an amount of luck getting jobs wether paid or volentry and also right time right place is a factor. 
OK for instance 2 people go to PDR's place for a job in helping look after the venomous collection he has there, one candidate has been to uni has passed a course in animal husbandry or something like that.
The other candidate left school with a couple of gcs's or what ever the are called this week and has worked and kept venomous snakes for the same amount of time the other guy was studying for his degree, Who would be most likely to get the job???
i would have loved to have done a degree but in this game there is nothing like hands on experience and not just with your desired field.
Like many other people who keep or work with venomous snakes i have kept and worked with many different animals i too like yourself and PDR have kept and bred birds of prey untill a couple of years ago still bred barn owls and hunted my Harris hawk, i have also kept over the years bats, monkeys, inverts, parrots marine fish, turtles etc and been lucky to work with big cats, kangaroos, and other exotic mammals. to get on you need to put yourself about a bit and just focusing on working with venomous will narrow your options


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## RAZZ-MCFC (Jan 25, 2010)

this thread sort of applys to me

i've been thinking about becoming a reptile keeper for a few years

now do you think they'd take you on if you didn't have the degree but had great experience with DWA's such as venomous snakes or do you think you'd need the degree aswell as tht


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## Dreamz21 (Apr 12, 2009)

leecb0 said:


> I have never worked for a zoo as such but have worked with and within them. There is an amount of luck getting jobs wether paid or volentry and also right time right place is a factor.
> OK for instance 2 people go to PDR's place for a job in helping look after the venomous collection he has there, one candidate has been to uni has passed a course in animal husbandry or something like that.
> The other candidate left school with a couple of gcs's or what ever the are called this week and has worked and kept venomous snakes for the same amount of time the other guy was studying for his degree, Who would be most likely to get the job???
> i would have loved to have done a degree but in this game there is nothing like hands on experience and not just with your desired field.
> Like many other people who keep or work with venomous snakes i have kept and worked with many different animals i too like yourself and PDR have kept and bred birds of prey untill a couple of years ago still bred barn owls and hunted my Harris hawk, i have also kept over the years bats, monkeys, inverts, parrots marine fish, turtles etc and been lucky to work with big cats, kangaroos, and other exotic mammals. to get on you need to put yourself about a bit and just focusing on working with venomous will narrow your options


brilliant advise i have only keep couple corns pythons leos chams ackie monitors etc nothing like this. 

i would love to work with reptiles but DWA i would wait a very very very very long time before ever consider working with them but as you said hands on is better then pen n paper :2thumb:


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## leecb0 (Apr 14, 2009)

PDR did post a brief history of his animal keeping and job history a few weeks ago, to highlite what he and many other peole who work in zoo's or similar to VL. 
its very interesting reading and shows that although his ultimate goal was venomous there are no short cuts and you need to "serve your time" so to say.
It seems that there are a lot of people doing degrees these days and most of them i feel will be disapointed and may never get close to working in a zoo or whatever as there are not that many jobs to go around. 
im supprised at how many kids these days are set on a chosen career, im nearly 40 and i still dont know what i want to be when i grow up


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## PDR (Nov 27, 2008)

yayyay said:


> Is voluntary work hard to get into?
> 
> I imagine, even that has competition


I know that we do not take any volunteers. I am no longer able to take EMS Veterinary students due to a change in the insurance policy here at LSTM. We currently have 3 full time students working in our Lab and only one of those has any contact with the snakes (holding the tail end while I extract venom for a research project she is currently working on).
It is getting harder to find jobs where you have any actual contact with venomous snakes as health and safety restrictions insist on minimal contact...... does not apply to me as I need to be able to handle the snakes in order to extract venom.


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## alfiealbino (Nov 25, 2007)

Wow, no replies for a week then loads at once :2thumb: Yes i do think that experience is the biggest factor in this field of work, however the degree is just a backup to show scientific knowledge, which i think is needed in studying venomous snakes and venom. I agree leecb01 that the time and place is very important, to learn falconry i just happened to apply for voluntary work at a falconry centre and they just happened to have a space. Jobs are very scare, thats why i have set up my own company running shows etc with exotic animals and also give educational talks. PDR what birds of prey have you worked with? i am currently training a red tailed hawk, and as you probably know...getting footed by her would hurt quite a bit! lucky she is so tame i could cuddle her lol (not that i do that too often  ). My understanding aswell is that zoos don't pay too well and its very hard work, but then you work for the satisfaction not the money. 

Ben


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## PDR (Nov 27, 2008)

A few:

Barn Owls
Tawny Owls
Little Owls
Snowy Owls
Eagle Owls
Kestrels
Sparrow Hawks
Goshawks
Buzzards
Hawk eagles
Wedge tailed Eagles 
Golden Eagles 

I’m not sure excatly what wage Zoos are paying at the moment.... but I do know that I am on a rather good salary...... but I think I earn it


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## STReptiles (Feb 6, 2009)

shop owners etc ive spoken to it seems voluntery work is a good foot in the door.


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## Tehanu (Nov 12, 2006)

PDR said:


> I’m not sure excatly what wage Zoos are paying at the moment.... but I do know that I am on a rather good salary...... but I think I earn it


Starting wage here is around 14K for a keeper (you can expect Trainee Keeper positions to be around 11K...) starting Senior Keepers rake in 18K.
You can break 20k while still a senior keeper, or start above it as a Supervisor or deputy head of dept and I think there's a bit of a jump up to Curatorial level.

Suffice to say you'll never be rich in financial terms but you'll have the pleasure of a job you love


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