Insights revealed by Kentucky Reptile Zoo’s founder Jim Harrison & director Kristen Wiley! By Harmony Tenney
One Man, A Dream, and an Intern
You may have seen Jim Harrison and Kristen Wiley on National Geographic’s Snake Wranglers – they’re in both the Arizona and St. Lucia episodes. Today, they’re ensuring that venom is available for research in cancer, heart disease, blood clotting, new antivenins and other research.
Jim started herping as a youngster, and his life supported his hunger readily! He excelled in global kickboxing; His father was an Ohio school teacher, a coach, and a semi-professional baseball player in the Farm Leagues. Frequent traveling both stateside and abroad gave Jim access to multitudes of species and terrains.
Jim also had great mentors, like Dr. Sherman Minton, Jr., a physician, philanthropist, herpetologist and author of multiple books, and member of the Hoosier Herpetological Society, and Mike Goode at the Columbus Zoo, who helped him learn about venoms, handling venomous snakes, and safety for the public, the keepers and employees.
Kristen’s story is a bit different. She liked all animals growing up, but in college, she began studying with Case Western Reserve Professor, Dr. Marty Rosenberg, one of the founders of the Northern Ohio Herpetological Association. She went on to earn a Master’s degree in Biology, with a concentration in Ecology.
“The vast majority of herpetologists caught a little snake when they were a kid,” she recalls, “and that was it. I’m not like that.” Instead, she connected with the herps Dr. Rosenberg had in his office, and began working with them. Next up was an internship at the Cleveland Zoo, working with aquatic turtles.
She applied for an internship at the Kentucky Reptile Zoo, and included a reference letter from Dr. Rosenburg. “I was so excited,” she recalls. “I even brought along my pet corn snake. Jim laughed when he saw it, and asked me if the man I bought it from looked like such and such. Indeed he did, and Jim proceeded to share with me that the corn snake had been born and bred at KRZ. Quite the homecoming for it!”
Paradigm Shift
“At Kentucky Reptile Zoo, we provide venom for research purposes and medical use, in a way that’s humane and sustainable to the animals,” says Kristen. “When Jim opened 45 years ago, keepers and researchers pulled their snakes from the wild, force fed them, and extracted from them until they died: about six months later. Securing snakes was easy, cheap and unregulated.”
Jim realized that to achieve consistent, quality venom production for his clients, there would have to be ecological and ethical support for the animal; resulting in a longer lifespan, and multiple viable generations. He approached the animal providing venom as a “whole being.” Jim and Kristen bring forth that vision admirably: Their oldest snake is about 45 years old, and many of their animals are now captive bred grandkids or great grandkids. They also have fifth generation captive bred cobras.
Thinking of starting a venom production business? “The easiest part is acquiring snakes and handling them,” relates Jim, “keeping them healthy and stress-free is tantamount. Maintenance of a large colony of animals has special challenges in terms of biosecurity, efficiency, and focus. And you must be present and provide for them 365 days, 24/7. That includes holidays, natural disasters, electrical outages, etc.”
Husbandry and Ethics of Animal Keepers and Researchers:
One of the most significant differences in husbandry for venom-producing animals is that they MUST eat more often. Extracting venom on a schedule is far from a normal experience for the snake, whether wild-caught or captive bred. And whereas picky eaters in private collections can go a bit further before their next meal, production animals must be nourished.
“The key,” says Kristen, “is catering to their preference, or at least making a few compromises in their favor.” If a large snake refuses rats because it only ate mice, it’s ok to let it eat mice.
The 2nd most significant difference in husbandry for venom production is that you MUST REDUCE all other stressors in the animals’ lives. Extractions are their enrichment. “One way I keep this in focus is to see how stress-free the extractions and maintenance can be. How many rattlesnakes can I move and service their habitats without having one rattle? Will it be only 5 in 200? How many cobras can receive extractions and maintenance without hooding? Snakes are almost always portrayed in the media in their defensive posture, which is only 1% or 2% of their repertoire. Being able to work with them without making them feel defensive is a prime directive.”
The 3rd most important difference is a greater focus on Ethics, via Giving Back; Jim holds firm that “you must educate yourself, and those around you to the understanding that you’ve taken on the responsibility for this animal, and you must do your best for it. What is often forgotten is that once you’ve taken an animal from the wild, its place in the ecosystem is now void. You must find a way to give back to the species.” Kristen is quick to expand on this “everyone who keeps and / or works with wild animals has this moral obligation – personally and professionally”.
Some of Kristen’s go to models for giving back to the animals for what they do for us include:
- Support conservation organizations, like the Rattlesnake Preservation Trust, the Rattlesnake Conservancy, the Orianne Society, or others that work with reptiles.
- Volunteer your time for an organization, especially if you have specific skills that can be expensive to pay for – like accounting, legal expertise or construction.
- Write letters or otherwise contact regulators and legislators to help protect local habitats near you.
- Educate people about the habitat and ecosystem of your pet; use their interest to help them understand the larger picture
- If you own property, consider forming a Land Trust to preserve it in the future
Best Business Practices for Animal Keepers and Researchers
Having a venom production business is more than just “looking after a few more animals than a private hobbyist / keeper.” It has to be approached as a business: set up that way, maintained that way, and carefully guided where growth and change intersect in your strategic plan.
Kristen recommends you “learn the tedious business ownership fundamentals: Financials, recordkeeping, logistics/permits, social media, marketing, finding electricians, plumbers, and other service people that you can count on to come and help when you call.”
“As a business owner within the herp industry,” Jim notes, “you are also called on to help community members frequently; there are interviews, media relations, even talking to a panicked lady about a snake in her yard.” People also call with questions about their pet snake, or their aspirations to become herpetologists. “You must be willing to be able to do all that cheerfully, and at any time.”
Once Jim opened KRZ, the Pharma companies sought him out – and there were many word of mouth and referrals by professionals in the trade. Now, clients still find KRZ through word of mouth, but also through relationships built over time in the venom research community. KRZ aims to be flexible in providing for their clients’ needs. Some companies prefer to own the snakes themselves, which builds in a layer of security for their supply chain.
Being in the venom production business, it’s important to be aware of trends and upcoming research trajectories. You have to then acquire the species in a sufficient quantity, and strong health – with a vision for subsequent progeny.
It’s also important to provide support at the local, state and federal levels; to be of service. KRZ provides training in the safe practices of handling, first aid and transporting for law enforcement, and frequently gives snakebite talks to first responders and physicians.
Mark your calendars NOW for a spectacular visit at KRZ in person. Their Spring Opening begins March 5th, 2021.
Until then, visit them online at www.kyreptilezoo.org, or get your KRZ fix on Youtube!
