why'd it have to be snakes? Ask Animal Planet's new guru

faze · #1 (**permalink**) 10-19-2004, 01:10 AM

why'd it have to be snakes? Ask Animal Planet's new guru
http://www.suntimes.com/output/news/...r-snake18.html
October 18, 2004

BY DERRIK J. LANG
Advertisement

NEW YORK -- Animal Planet has a new snake in the grass, and his name is Austin Stevens.

Keepers at the cable network are billing Stevens, a k a the ''Snakemaster,'' and his new show as the slithery descendant of ''The Crocodile Hunter'' Steve Irwin, but the South African snake wrangler doesn't even know Irwin by name.

During a call from his home in Namibia, Stevens said he'd only seen ''bits and pieces of the Australian guy.''

''He seems to be pretty good,'' Stevens said.

But what Stevens lacks in Animal Planet host familiarity, he makes up for in snake knowledge. The 54-year-old is a photographer and herpetologist who has studied hundreds of species.

During the 13 episodes of ''Austin Stevens: Snakemaster,'' airing at 7 p.m. Tuesdays, Stevens travels from Arizona to Borneo in search of the world's rarest reptiles, such as the Western diamondback rattlesnake and the king cobra.

''People fear them so much and they're so misunderstood,'' said Stevens, who's been bitten so many times he only keeps track of the lethal ones.

Although Stevens has hosted Animal Planet specials, this is his first U.S. series. ''I don't set anything up,'' said Stevens. ''I'm not a narrator. I'm just a little bushman who knows something about wildlife." AP

faze · #2 (**permalink**) 10-19-2004, 01:10 AM

honestly i think the guys a major idiot but hey to each his own

bpkid · #3 (**permalink**) 10-19-2004, 01:14 AM

he knows his snakes,it is just how responsible he is is what makes him soo dumb!

faze · #4 (**permalink**) 10-19-2004, 01:19 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by bpkid

he knows his snakes,it is just how responsible he is is what makes him soo dumb!

bpkid you also gotta remember anyone can read off a q card

pandora1985 · #5 (**permalink**) 10-19-2004, 01:32 AM

i like the show because i like seeing the animals and learning about them.....but honestly sometimes the way he handles some of the snakes makes me cringe. hes so macho about it instead of handling them as gently as possible.

Ed_r · #6 (**permalink**) 10-19-2004, 01:58 AM

The other night he was on some late late late talk show Dont even recall the name of itHad an Eastern Diamondback on a slipery table using only a short cage hook, allowing the hosts and other to get very close to it, Had a fairly large Albeano(yes thats how has says albino) Burm, saying how they make wonderful pets. Also had a monocled Cobra on the same slipery table. The cobra was very flighty and trying to escape, came real close to sriking at one of the members of the show, and nearly escaped intho the audience a couple times.

This guy makes Irwin look anal, in his practices. The guy should be locked up for the messages he gives.

Stormyva · #7 (**permalink**) 10-19-2004, 02:13 AM

The guy is a total fool! He makes Irwin look like the safest handler out there.
I saw a pilot for his show ages ago that had him up with his camera getting within inches of snakes like the brown snake and black mambas. The fool was using his old camera as a shield between him and the snakes.