# First handling of hots



## gearedup (Mar 14, 2007)

well completed an indepth venomous workshop over the weekend , at the end of the day ended up handling a puff adder, a cape cobra, a snouted cobra, mozumbican spitting cobra, a boomslang. 

advanced course might even get the chance at a black mamba 

really enjoyed the experience and will be helping out at the reptile park a couple weekends every month where by i can handle and grow experience.

if i was ever to keep a hot a boom slang would be it :whip:


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## shiva&kaa123 (Jul 20, 2007)

That sounds amazing! I'd love to do a course like that-where was it and how much did it cost you?
Thanks,
Ben


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## matty (Feb 17, 2007)

wow..sounds good ..are you thinking of applying for a DWA then or was it just because it's be a good thing to do?


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## gearedup (Mar 14, 2007)

sorry forgot to mention i reside in south africa lol, it's a reptile park with quite a collection, it was free as i moderate one of there sites, they are compiling the advanced course so hopefully will get on that one, the mods on the site, get to help at the park whenever we want, wether it be cleaning cages, moving hots, feeding, feeding the crocs etc. really amazing experience , never been a hot fan, but after the weekend have immense respect for them and a new found passion : victory:


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## sahunk (Apr 1, 2007)

where about in s.a??? was in in kwa-zulu-natal??


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## shiva&kaa123 (Jul 20, 2007)

gearedup said:


> sorry forgot to mention i reside in south africa lol, it's a reptile park with quite a collection, it was free as i moderate one of there sites, they are compiling the advanced course so hopefully will get on that one, the mods on the site, get to help at the park whenever we want, wether it be cleaning cages, moving hots, feeding, feeding the crocs etc. really amazing experience , never been a hot fan, but after the weekend have immense respect for them and a new found passion : victory:


Sounds incredible! Wish we could get some hots into Sussex! Have fun playing with the highly dangerous animals!
Ben


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## gearedup (Mar 14, 2007)

sahunk, no it was near hartibeespoort dam in gauteng . yes shiva a wonderfull experience and one i wont soon forget : victory:


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## SiUK (Feb 15, 2007)

I was gonna ask if you were in another country because I couldnt imagine anywhere in the UK letting you do that, I wouldnt of thought they would be able to get the insurance over here, to run proper courses


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## gearedup (Mar 14, 2007)

over here the keeping of hots is legal, obviously you would need a permit for indiginous, i will get some pics up tomorrow, photobucket acting up at the moment


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## SiUK (Feb 15, 2007)

yeh you can keep them here but its licenced, but I dont think people would be able to get permission to run a weekend handling course in the UK, I might be wrong though, it would be good if they did


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## gearedup (Mar 14, 2007)

your local reptile parks and zoo's, do they not offer anything in that regard ? would be very dissapointing if not, its great.


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## SiUK (Feb 15, 2007)

im not 100% sure but because the dangerous wild animal licence is quite strict on who can interact with venomous, so insurance would be needed and im not sure whether an insurance company would cover them so that anyone could have a go at handling.


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## sahunk (Apr 1, 2007)

yep in s.a almost any reptile park will let you hold hots if you are over a certain age and supervised by an expert!! wel it was like that in kwa zulu natal.. (durban)


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## gearedup (Mar 14, 2007)

here is myself and wife, she is handling the snouted cobra, me was first attempt at the puffadder :no1:

i got alot more comfortable after that, then we moved onto bigger and better.boomslang was my best : victory:


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## hullreptilelover (Mar 4, 2006)

I believe you can do a course and study hots at the liverpool school of tropical medicine, dont believe you get to handle venomus but they talk to you about the correct handling of them and they demonstate it etc....


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## hermanlover (Jul 8, 2007)

really? i live in liverpool so i will have to try and find out if there is one and then try and get on it. i would love to do that course. if you get to handle a black mamba please take pics. they are my favourite snakes ever!!!!! i would love to have one but i would like to live a few more years yet :lol2:


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## Iliria (Jan 19, 2007)

i'd love to try a course like that


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## wayakinwolf (Oct 6, 2006)

*handling hots*

I also would love to get on a course like that, maybe it`s time to emigrate lol :mf_dribble::mf_dribble:

Been thinking of getting out of the UK for a while now & that would just suit me down to the ground.


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## lordbiggles (Jun 10, 2009)

emigrating may be a bit drastic..........

one could always book an extended holiday


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## Aconite (Dec 4, 2008)

I have been making enquiries about a course very similar to that. I am planning a trip back to South Africa in Feb and so want to do more than just visit my family (which can be more lethal than a snake bite). 

There are 2 courses that I found on offer and both seem to be really great. Both in Gauteng which means a bit of a journey, but what the h. 
The one ends with an optional handling of a black mamba. 
I am still not sure if I will go for it. Each course costs about £100, which is well worth the experience, imo. 
But I am not sure if my husband will let me do it. I wanted to do it with him, but he is not keen. 
I have kept snakes all my life and want a bit more experience with the "tricky" ones".

Also, seeing how it is done the proper way will be fun. 
My dad and I caught a spitting cobra when I was 13 - with a large bucket and a broom!
That is how you do things in South Africa! 
Things are slightly different in the Uk... where people are cautious of eggs that dont have the expiry date printed on them. :whistling2:


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## mattykyuss (Oct 12, 2009)

*re*

when you say handle ,in your hands ,or snake rods ?


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## mattykyuss (Oct 12, 2009)

*re*

seen your pics as i was asking ,cheers ,mat


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## mad martin (Sep 4, 2008)

Shame, a lot has changed since that course. Gearedup has fallen off the face of the earth, and the instructor that gave the course passed away.


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## Aconite (Dec 4, 2008)

I saw some pics of you (Mad Martin) with some venomous on another thread. Where do you work? I looked at the pics and instantly knew it was SA. Boy I miss the bush!

I would like to do a course like the one the OP did, and there are a few still going on. 
But I want it to be done responsibly and so I really need to think it thru a bit first. (I dont want it to just be a tourist thing.)
I would even just be interested in a practical snake identification course, with a variety of snakes to look at, but not handle. 

But mainly I just love snakes, so anything to do with them is a plus. Although tbh I like to handle them with my hands and that is why venomous has never attracted me much. 

Anyway, thanks for updating us on this old thread. Sorry to hear of the passing of the course leader.


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## mad martin (Sep 4, 2008)

I used to work at Chameleon Village Reptile park. I was the operations director there. Now I am going solo a bit 

I presented that course many many times, and there was always at least one person that didn't want to handle the animals. By day's end, everyone completes even the Black Mamba course.

As to Lizz, she was a stubborn, hard nosed bat, but she had a very good heart and she will be missed. Lizz made a fantastic leap. Four years ago she couldn't be induced to look at a picture of a snake and so forced her self to get over that fear.


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