He received the key to the city.Those same hands that for decades eased venom from the world's most poisonous snakes held the key to the city of Miami on Thursday. Alligator seen dragging child into the water. We have tried to cover and visualize some, we have implemented a hook with a strip to see if it pulls something, but to no avail. So, on a trip to visit my parents in Miami, when Scot was two (1977), we took him to the Miami Serpentarium. Horror as remains of '14-year-old boy' are cut from massive crocodile's 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. At 19, he got a job with a roadside snake attraction. I am now 42 years with a very youthful appearance and in excellent health! I always had one or more in my bedroom and it drove my mom nuts.. 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.. When I was a small boy of 8-9 years old in the mid sixties, a distinguished gentleman would walk by our house in the early morning like clockwork. Every week, Haast still injects his arm with a cocktail of venom from five snakes -- cobras, mambas, kraits, cottonmouths and rattlesnakes. But there is no reason to visit Miami. If snake venom holds the secret to a long life, then Bill Haast had the magic. Haast's mental trauma over the boy's death eventually led to the closure of the Serpentarium on South Dixie Highway. He said at that time if he lived to be 100 it would possibly prove that snake venom is anti aging. And in July, a woman in Florida died after she fell into a pond and was attacked by two alligators. Art Levy | 8/1/2008. Join half a million readers enjoying Newsweek's free newsletters. At the time of the TV airing Mr. Haast was 87 years old and quite handsome he looked no older that early 50s. His take on the matter was generally to the effect that the placement of this variant of the common black racer into a separate subspecies status seemed dubious. He loved his animals and was deeply committed to bringing them to the world in an educated, and respectful manner. I'd fainted at the realization of a whole baby pig inside that snake! I don't know. Haast was born in Paterson, New Jersey, in 1910. A crew of more than 50 people, including experienced alligator trappers and sheriffs department divers using sonar equipment, helicopters and boats searched the network of man-made canals, ponds and lakes to recover the boys body. Tragically, a 6-year-old boy fell in and died in 1977. 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. [3] Haast extracted venom from venomous snakes from the time he was a boy. All rights reserved, See Where Florida Ranks Among The Cheapest and Most Expensive U.S. My uncle made a point to tell me to look up this site. 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. Needless to say I was quite nervous also, thinking of what might happen if that snake went through the crowd. I remember in 3rd grade, back in 1960, one of my classmates dropped her purse into the crocodile pit. It stood almost eye level with Bill and lunged repeatedly as it advanced across the floor toward him. But at the Serpentarium, there was a monster 14 foot rattlesnake from upper Florida, probably from around the Gainesville area. Did you know that Charlie Baxter aka MT GRAVES IS STILL ALIVE & is one hell of a nice guy. I hope you live to 100 to prove snake venon is an anti aging wonder. America is still arguing today about whether the Cincinnati Zoo should have shot and killed Harambe, a 17-year-old male, Become a member to support the independent voice of South Florida I saw so many people face their phobias of snakes and actually touch one for the first time. "He was a really nice man with a big heart," said his grand-niece Michelle Haast of Miami. Haast and his teenage son, Bill Jr., began constructing snake pits, the beginning of the Serpentarium. Thinking back, that have been Cookie. And a bit crazy. Lee Martines - Growing up in Miami in the 40s and 50s I would visit the Serpentarium every couple of years and always marveled at the variety of snakes and the process of extracting the venom from the poisonous ones. A witness told a journalist at the Orlando Sentinel they reported a sighting of an alligator to police prior to the attack on the toddler, but Sheriff Demings said he was unaware of the report. They moved to Florida so that Haast could pursue his dream of opening a "snake farm". I was the only customer there that early. Keepers were forced to shoot and kill the 17-year-old gorilla named Harambe. 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. My parents stayed at the motel pool, while I was the first one thru the door at the Serpentarium that day. killed David Mark Wasson of West Palm Beach, Fla. I think its horrible that he killed that animal. BILL TOLD THE CROWD NOT TO WORRY, "IT'S ONLY CALCIUM". Earlier on Wednesday, Orlando authorities told reporters there was no question that the young boy was dead. I'm 5'2 from s city in north Jersey myself, and the snake was about my size! Boy killed in crocodile attack in Mexico - NBC News Haast's hands suffered venom-caused tissue damage, culminating in the loss of a finger following a bite from a Malayan pit viper in 2003. As far as I recall, the Cobra on the roof was the one from the Serpentarium. Bill is a true forward thinker and an inspiration to all herpetologists. He died of natural. Haast started collecting snakes and, after initial opposition from his mother, was allowed to keep them at home. 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. "And in the end the research could take care of itself.". Great memories. Newsweek has contacted crocodile experts for comment. "He's like an icon to people that know him," Cruz said. His unique contribution to medicine earned him widespread recognition. Today, a McDonald's and a shopping center sit where the Serpentarium once thrilled. While on my honeymmon in Orlando we rode down to Miami to the Serpentarium and watched Bill milk some snakes. World; North America; Alligator drags child into lake near Disney's Grand Floridian Resort & Spa. A 6-year-old boy fell into a crocodile pit and was killed. He didn't do it out of anger because the crocodile was just doing what comes naturally to him, Clarita Haast said. Im just here to say a prayer, he said. When we said goodby, I knew this was a moment I would remember for the rest of my life. Among them a zoo director from Des Moines, a local construction worker and a Venezuelan father. Worst time of my life!!! He later received commendations from President Gerald Ford and Miami Mayor Stephen Clark. We had an African Ball Python that had stopped eating, and I remember bringing it with my father to have it fed. The 2-year-old boy grabbed by alligator at Disney hotel has been found dead, a source says https://t.co/SyWdOq9L87 https://t.co/xLMVr0orfE. ''I always meant for the attraction to support the venom research, but it just kept growing and growing. Boy Dies After Falling Into Crocodile Pit, https://www.nytimes.com/1977/09/04/archives/boy-dies-after-falling-into-crocodile-pit.html. To preserve these articles as they originally appeared, The Times does not alter, edit or update them. Back in the 1980's, I lived in the Pepperwood S/D (about one block south of Kendell Drive, just west of Palmetto Expy). It was a rattle snake. I'd rather go back in the ocean than back to the Serpentarium! I will think of my uncle as I visit. After his wife became pregnant, Haast lost his job when the speakeasy he was working at was raided by IRS agents. I've outlived all my friends down there.'' But Haast had detractors. The boy and his father, David Wasson, 42, were throwing grapes at the crocodile, hoping to see it move, when the boy slipped off a retaining wall on which he had been sitting and fell into the crocodile pit. I used to take the snakes I would find to a lady named Alma Bishop, who had a little shop in the Flamingo Bar. THIS SOFT SPOKEN WOMAN TURNED TO HER FAMILY AND SAID "I'VE COME ALL THE WAY TO MIAMI TO HAVE SOME SNAKE S__T ON ME". His contribution to antivenin science is unparalleled and earned him recognition throughout his life. 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! THE body of a two-year-old boy snatched by an alligator at a Disney resort has now been recovered. Soon, his quest for exotic snakes stretched around the world. "We know that there are crocodiles and burrows, but we don't have a notion or a pattern to work on.". Haast could not make the ceremony, so part of the ceremony came to him. I'll never forget this experience. My hands served me well.'' Mr Haast came out at my parents request after thrilling us with a great show. He introduced himself as Col. Spencer, I introduced myself as "I'm Mark and could my brother Dick come too?" The Serpentarium opened at the end of 1947, still not completed. Inside the bag was a cardboard box with holes in it. Thank you Diana, and all the other folks who have posted, for posting your personal memories of Bill Haast and your insights that the general public would never know about if you hadn't written in. 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? It was July, 1972, and my family was making our first visit to the Serpentarium. Most of the family agreed it was better than any other stops we made, including the newly opened Disney World. 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. As he announced at the time, Bill killed the croc because he did not want her to become the inevitable freak show instead of a crocodile.Neither revenge nor stress induced fuzzy thinking was involved. The Serpentarium was a magical place and Mr. Haast was a very interesting fellow. Bill Haast's daughter was in my 4th grade class and we went to the Serpentarium for a field trip. Behind him rose an 8-foot concrete cobra statue that once decorated the serpentarium. "I am not going to stay here, because just as they protect those animals, they are capable of leaving the river to attack more people and the truth is that it is scary that something like this will happen again. For years, Haast tried to prove that venom could treat multiple sclerosis, lupus, arthritis and Parkinson's disease. My Dad would take me there often, we lived in South Miami (as I do againlong story). I've outlived all my friends down there.' Res Walt Disney World has unveiled a lighthouse memorial for a young boy who was killed by an alligator while on holiday at the Florida theme park. It taught me an important life lessons about fearto just face fears because most of the time our anxiety really isn't worth it. Opening day was Jan. 1, 1948. Others joined Haast. Disney Alligator Attack: Cause of Death Confirmed by Autopsy - People For almost four decades, Haast charmed curious tourists who flocked to his South Dixie Highway attraction, the Miami Serpentarium, to watch his snake show. Nonetheless, the boy, who was battered and submerged, was killed. Authorities said the boy, who fell about three metres, was expected to recover after being picked up and dragged by Harambe for about 10 minutes. Four years ago, I got bit by a Malaysian pit viper, and that was the end of my right . We considered him the Patron Saint of Junkies in those days. 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. Its been one tough week in Orlando.. The parents diligently tried to get the child, Sheriff Demings said. I remember reading Bill Haast book Cobras in My Garden, one of the most interesting books I have ever read. Bill Jr. eventually left, having lost interest in snakes, but not before he had been bitten four times by venomous snakes. 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. But I still think he should not have shot that alligator. I remember him extracting cobra venom too as that was part of a demonstration. On that trip, I held the very long Indigo snake, and my friend, Ann, took a picture of me. My granddaddy was Robert Kundtz, horticulurist. [2] After closing the Serpentarium, he opened the Miami Serpentarium Laboratories, a facility in Punta Gorda, Florida that produced snake venom for medical and research use. Even though the Serpentarium was there, some people still got bitten, and died from the poisonous snakes. World Crocodile attack Indonesia Crocodiles Alligator. But I always felt I would live this long. "Well my dear lad, if you should like I will write to my old friend from the war, Bill Hasst. It was intuitive. She took over, and the show went on without a hitch. ", Copyright 2023 NBCUniversal Media, LLC. And modern medical researchers are proving him right snake venom fractions are becoming recognized as potent medicines. Anyone can read what you share. Sad to say, a passerby noticed that the snake was poisonous and killed it before we could take it to the Serpentarium to get paid for all our efforts. I told my mother how I'd really like to get an Indigo and she kind of shrugged it off. A massive crocodile attacked and ate an 8-year-old girl while she was bathing in the river with friends. He was bitten for the first time at summer camp a year later, when he tried to capture a small timber rattlesnake. ``If I live to be 100 I'll really make the point.'' It was not that far from us and yet we were not fearful. Haast's second wife, Clarita, simply narrated, setting the mood for the audience. Cloud, Florida and it just so happens that my dad lives there now. He closed up the business in 1984, moved to Utah for a few years but returned to Florida in 1990, and settled in a Punta Gorda ranch with Nancy, his third wife, and some 400 snakes that supplied his Miami Serpentarium Laboratories. But the FDA shut it down and banned the drug, saying PROven had not been properly tested for humans. Rescuers were able to recover his body from the water in December 2020, but he was pronounced dead at the scene. After many years of being a Bill Haast fan, I was thrilled to be there. "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. Eventually, his collection became one of the most diverse venomous snakes on the planet. I grew up near the Serpentarium , and played baseball @ Suniland Park..Many times during games , an iguana that had escaped from the serpentarium , would run across the field..As kids , we too ,sold snakes to the facility , and we managed to see the show several times a yearwe would ride our bikes to Parrot Jungle and the Serpentarium and see all kinds of rare wild animals and snakes , and birds , then fish salt or fresh water within a few miles of homegreat place to grow up in the 60's. 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. As a girl in the early 60's, I lived down the block from Dr Haast and his family. 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? Some questions, like the one a decade ago from Cruz, the venom unit founder, mean the difference between life and death. 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. .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]. (and I have literally been attacked by a shark, which resulted in 30 days in the hospital, and losing half a lung) My point? She had given me some information on the Serpentarium and I got interested in Indigo Snakes. On September 3, 1977, a 6-year-old boy sitting atop the wall surrounding the Serpentarium's alligator and crocodile pit fell into the pit, and a 12-foot crocodile lunged ten feet and grabbed the boy. IE 11 is not . Voted for the photo and the biographical info. Sheriff Demings identified the young boy as two-year-old Lane Graves of Nebraska, whose parents are Matt and Melissa Graves. Part scientist, part entertainer, 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 is today called Pinecrest. My first visit to the Serpentarium was in the summer of '56 when I visited family friends who lived on Key Biscayne. Julio. Its very surprising, its an extremely rare occurrence in anywhere you have alligators, but we do ask people to be mindful that we do have alligators in the water in Florida and you have to be careful, Mr Wiley said. Luckily I caught myself in time to stop myself from falling in. Mr. Hasst brought out a huge 16 foot long King Cobra and kept it controlled on the lawn in front of us. Inside, the snake shows were pure drama with no frills, no fanfare, no drum roll, no silence please, no ladies and gentleman. Thank you for reminding me about this incredible man. Later that day, boy did he get back at the girl that had done this. Authorities estimate there are between 1.3 million and 2 million alligators across the state. He would tell us stories about going to Boy Scout Camp with this extraordinary man, Bill Hasst. However, we kept them because they made good pets. 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. 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 lived in Southern California. We watched Mr. Haast with fascination as he milked the snakes. https://t.co/suskABi6UPhttps://t.co/AfEdaZei5G. "Not to mention pretty damn smart. ''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. In the late 40's and early 50's I lived in Marathon on the Keys. 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. . 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. Sometime later when I visited again, I bought Cobras In His Garden, and Dr. Haast, recovering from that or another bite on his hand, left a blood smudge on my book while signing it . Bill Haast and a cobra at the Miami Serpentarium SW 128th Street and South Dixie Highway, Dade County, Florida Thank you to Alvin Lederer for contributing this old image. Soon after opening the Serpentarium, Haast began experimenting with building up an acquired immunity to the venom of King, Indian and Cape cobras by injecting himself with gradually increasing quantities of venom he had extracted from his snakes, a practice called mithridatism. Access from your Country was disabled by the administrator. At the UM, Haast led in the testing of the serum on monkeys. We visited the Serpentarium and it was an amazing experience that I remember vividly to this day. bill was to capture this cobra and milk it for the crowd. Haast added a snake exhibit to the business. ( Because they wouldn't let me move here by myself.) Convicted murderer Alex Murdaugh has been sentenced to life in prison for killing his wife and son. I was fascinated watching them put Mr Haast's feeding tube down and feed the snake. The incident did not end Haast's interest in venom research. We will have to go and visit the place that a man built who was inspired by Mr. Haast. The last time I saw him he told me never to get bit again and offered me a job. Haast maintained a similar bank in Miami when he ran the Serpentarium theme park, which closed in 1984. He has written a book called 'The World of Snakes. ' He respected him very much. Haast eventually sold his family home to buy the land on South Dixie Highway where the Serpentarium would rise. It was damaged by a hurricane in 2005 and they just built a new one. 12-year-old boy Charlie Buhl describes crocodile attack, rescue at So long Mr. Haast, you were a great man. Still recognized as a top authority on venomous snakes, Haast, who moved his snakes to a lab on his sprawling Charlotte County complex in 1990 (he no longer has snakes there), said he answers questions from callers every day. His hands are gnarled and deadened, some fingers hang immobile, some look stunted in growth, and a pinky and index finger have been amputated at the knuckle, photographs taken by his wife reveal. Children shrieked in horrified glee. This will be of interest to some out there. During World War II, he was aboard flights that delivered food and medicine to Africa and Asia. What a rush. Set in the American South in the 20th century. See the article in its original context from. joe pylandgrew up at sunniland park two blocks from the serpentarium.Remember it well..Billy..the grandson ran over my arm in 1962 with his bike..breaking it and I missed the 1st 6 weeks of Khoury League.Remember Haast tamping alsoThis man was incredidle and brave. The boy was swimming in a river with a friend on Thursday when the incident occurred. Bowker had hooked. on. Crocodile That Killed Boy Is Shot to Death, https://www.nytimes.com/1977/09/05/archives/crocodile-that-killed-boy-is-shot-to-death.html. As people gathered close Bill unlatched the door on the end of the cage. Boy, 8, cut from 26ft crocodile which swallowed him whole while he was No. Demings said there had been no other recent reports of similar alligator attacks on the lake. We ran it over, and with a little coaxing, I convinced the driver to return. On two trips to Florida in the late 60s, my parents took me to The Serpentarium. Every so often the evening news would announce "Bill Haast had been bitten by a poisonous snake AGAIN." great childhood memories spent there with my family , i remember getting goose bumps when we would see the cobra statue. After the United States entered World War II, Haast served as a flight engineer on Pan Am airliners flying under contract to the United States Army Air Corps. I knocked and went in. We finally found them on the bottom of my feet. As I was sitting there I heard a big CHOMP and turned around to see one huge animal falling back into the pitmissed me by about a foothorseshoes and hand-grenadeseh? I contacted him while the car was in shop and $2200.00 later it was mine. One day, a six-year-old boy fell into the crocodile pit at Miami Serpentarium and was killed by "Cookie", a 12-ft-long crocodile that had been living in the pit for 20 years without incident. His wife Nancy and I had been pleasantly talking an she was so fearful that she held my arm and squeezed hard, all the while telling me that a bite from that king cobra would likely kill Bill , because up to that point he had been bitten some 23 times , but never by a king cobra one drop of which can kill 5 men. As many families do, the Malaysian family had a get together with some friends. Keep it up Mr. Haast. Disney spokeswoman Jacquee Wahaler said everyone at the resort was devastated by what happened and Disney was helping the family. Flores said it has been very difficult for the family, adding: 'It is impossible to continue living in Matina because in every corner of the house we find something that reminds us of Julito, that causes us a lot of pain. [8], Haast closed the Serpentarium in 1984, and moved to Utah for a few years. He soon learned how to handle the snakes and found one timber rattler so easy to handle that he posed for a photograph with the snake lying across his lap. Crocodile attack in Australia: Boy, 12, killed | CNN ''Failing at this is one of my biggest regrets,'' Haast said. Haast's death-defying act didn't disappoint. The snake had disappeared, but I estimate that the snake, which had at least a one foot girth, was 14 feet or more. I can still recall watching a 12 or 14 ft gator, said to have been the largest but for its missing tail. Haast saw that a boy had fallen into the crocodile pit. There was a croc that had lost its tail because it had bit at it after thinking it was another croc coming to steal its food. I sure do remember Mr. Haast as I bought the 1969 GT500 Shelby that he once owned. When I opened the box I saw my new pet, a 6 foot beautiful Indigo Snake. ''It was the best snake show there ever will be,'' said George Van Horn, a frequent visitor who now runs a similar attraction in Central Florida. MIAMI, Sept. 4 (UPI)A 12foot African crocodile that killed a 6yearold boy was killed today by the owner of the Miami Serpentarium, who pumped nine shots into it with a Luger pistol. I think that this Dr., was loved by thousands of Miamians, because of him lives are save. In 1954 Haast was bitten by a common, or blue, krait. Across the street, a Haast lived in a nice house. . Get the latest updates in news, food, music and culture, and receive special offers direct to your inbox. I lived across South Dixie Highway from the Miami Serpentarium. ``I feel like a man in his 60s.'' My father grew up and was born in Paterson, as well. A crocodile attacked and killed an 11-year-old boy in Malawi, a landlocked country in southeastern Africa, on Monday. I thought that was pretty cool back then, and still do. I will admired and respect this wonderful human being for the rest of my life. On September 3, 1977, a 6-year-old boy sitting atop the wall surrounding the Serpentarium's alligator and crocodile pit fell into the pit, and a 12-foot crocodile lunged ten feet and grabbed the boy. Apparently the damaged tail had to be amputated afterwards. Haast finally sold the 5.2-acre lot, now in Pinecrest, for $3.2 million and headed to Utah for more snake research. Look at how big the transplanted Pythons get and that they thrive and fight the alligators in the Everglades. I would see him periodically. I'm surprised to hear the stories about the cobra being damaged enroute to SMSH. I always told people I'd live past 100, and I still feel I will. It's a shame that everything is gone now. Even though this article is of the Snakeman as we called him I want to comment a special person. Myles, Justin (Dec 2000/Jan 2001 Issue). Occasionally the digitization process introduces transcription errors or other problems; we are continuing to work to improve these archived versions. Serpentarium was snake place in Miami | Miami Herald It was'nt the aninmal's fault that boy fell into the pit (the alligator was where he was suppose to be. He shot the 1800-pound crocodile nine times with a Luger pistol, yet it was still an hour before it died.