Austin Stevens
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Austin James Stevens (born 19 May 1950) is a South African-born herpetologist and wildlife photographer best known for hosting a series of snake documentaries known as Austin Stevens: Snakemaster on Animal Planet.
[edit] Biography
He has had an interest in snakes since the age of 12, at the end of his schooling, his reptile collection included some of the most exotic and venomous species from around the world. It was considered one of the most important in the whole of South Africa.
Austin served in the South African Army during the war in Angola, during which he was called upon to identify and remove snakes from the battlefield or anywhere where they bothered his fellow troops. During this time, he suffered his first bite from a snake while removing a puff adder from a machine-gun trench. As a result, he found himself in a desperate race against time to save his life that included a 480-kilometre trip through enemy territory and later a 1,600-kilometre flight, which made an emergency landing on the road at the front of a hospital in Namibia. Stevens remained in a coma for the next five days. Doctors worked for more than three months to save his hand from being removed. However he did lose part of his finger to the effects of the venom [1].
After the war Austin left the army and the director of the Transvaal Snake Park offered him a position in charge of the reptiles. Over the course of six years, Austin underwent training and became a fully qualified herpetologist.
After Austin left the Transvaal Snake Park he became very interested in filmmaking. In an effort to generate funds and public interest in the plight of African gorillas, Austin set a record by spending 107 days and nights in a tank with 36 of the most venomous and dangerous snakes in Africa. On the 96th day, he was bitten again by a cobra, but to many people's amazement refused to leave the tank and was instead treated in the tank. Although he was very sick at that time, Austin completed the 107 days and beat the record. However, some people claim his record was already broken, and accuse Animal Planet of just listening to advertisers of his TV shows and not checking the records.
Nowadays Austin indulges his hobby by making TV programmes about snakes, and when he is not travelling he lives in Namibia. He has also authored a book entitled Snakes in my Bed.
Austin Stevens regularly stays fit and sharp by practising martial arts, in particular, nunchaku. He claims it keeps his reflexes heightened so when venomous snakes attack him, he has time to react.
