First handling of hots

[gearedup]

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

[SiUK]

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.

[sahunk]

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)

[gearedup]

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

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

[hullreptilelover]

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....

[hermanlover]

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

[Iliria]

i'd love to try a course like that

[wayakinwolf]

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

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

[lordbiggles]

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

one could always book an extended holiday

[Aconite]

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.