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Another venomous keeper dead, canebrake
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by tigers9 on January 29, 2008
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http://www.lcsun-news.com/news/ci_8111159
Deming snake wrangler dies of rattlesnake bite (5:12 p.m.)
By Kevin Buey/For the Sun-News
Article Launched: 01/29/2008 05:11:31 PM MST
DEMING — James Bear's passion proved fatal.
Bear, 37, died at 11:49 a.m., Tuesday, at El Paso's Thomason Hospital following a bite on his right thumb from a venomous Canebrake Rattlesnake. He was hospitalized Thursday when the bite occured in his home on East Pear Street.
Bear operated Southwest Serpentarium and hoped to open a museum on State Road 549. He reportedly had more than 300 snakes in his home.
"He's had a fascination (with snakes) since he was a child," said his widow, Danielle Bear. "He used to ask his mom for a pet snake when he was a kid and she would never let him have it."
Bear was more than a man interested in snakes.
"He was one of the best guitar players I have ever seen," Danielle said. "He was a painter, a very, very good artist. He was very good at building things. He built all his cages for his snakes.
"He loved hiking, liked being out in nature with the stuff he loved."
Bear was born in Virginia. His father was in the Army and held posts at Fort Bliss, Germany and California.
Danielle and James were together more than 9 1/2 years and would have celebrated their second wedding anniversary in June.
"Snakes are not my favorite thing," Danielle said. "They don't bother me. They
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made my husband happy."
Bear's website — southwestserpatarium.com — includes a variety of information, including his interest in snakes.
"For some of us, as children, we don't have the understanding of a parent that will allow you to keep reptiles," he wrote. "My experiences with reptiles was only left to the few encounters in the wild as a youngster. Eventually after leaving the family home I immediately began keeping snakes in my own home. After keeping a few odds and ends native North Carolina species I soon purchased my first snake, a Queensland Carpet python. Open the gates and let the flood begin!! Not long after purchasing that Carpet python did I find myself working for the same store that sold him to me. My beginnings were working in the reptile department of Animal Jungle in Virginia Beach, Virginia.
"After a year of Virginia, I decided to move back to my childhood stomping grounds ... El Paso, Texas. Eventually this would lead me into what would become my passion-species to work with, the Banded Rock Rattlesnake. In a matter of five years we built up a collection of snakes numbering over 340 animals, consisting of boas, pythons, king snakes, milk snakes, rat snakes as well as a few rattlesnakes and European vipers.As most collections do,they go through changes, owners find other interests and part with those not catching their attention any more. Mine eventually led into a large collection of Rock rattlesnakes from many localities, a rather sizable group of European vipers and many forms of boas and pythons as well."
The State Fish and Game Department was expected to investigate this week whether Bear had the appropriate permits for the snakes.
Bear's best friend, Tony Fish, said he hoped the state agency would give him possession of the reptiles, so he could sell them and transfer proceeds to Danielle.
"He was just a blast," Fish said. "He had one of the greatest senses of humor, a practical joker, the best guitar player ... rock "n' roll."
George Lynch, Jeff Beck and Eric Clapton, Fish said, were among favorites.
"I've known him about 6 years. I met him through reptiles," said Fish, a herpetologist, involved in husbandry and breeding of snakes. He lives in Cyprus, Texas, near Houston.
Kevin Buey writes for the Deming Headlight, a member of the Texas-New Mexico Newspapers Partnership. He can be reached at kbuey@demingheadlight.com.
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RE: Another venomous keeper dead, canebrake
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by Chris_Harper on January 29, 2008
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James Bear wrote the article at:
http://www.venomousreptiles.org/articles/42
I never knew him personally, and haven't heard from him in years, however I am sorry to hear of his passing.
webmaster
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RE: Another venomous keeper dead, canebrake
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by SCatheris on January 29, 2008
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yeah that's very sad to hear. I feel like the potential of canebrakes and timbers is seriously underestimated. a few years back I would of never guessed they were THAT hot. But upon reading more things like this it really is an eye opener.
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RE: Another venomous keeper dead, canebrake
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by Rob_Carmichael on January 29, 2008
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It's always a tough pill to swallow. There are inherent risks to anything that involves some degree of danger whether its keeping venomous herps/large constrictors/crocodilians, sky diving, having a gun collection, race car driving, and even many more mundane hobbies/professions. All you can do is try to minimize risks but it's a good wake up call for those who think that just because you keep a native venomous herp means that you don't have to worry due to hospitals keeping A/V in North America....not so, especially a nasty bite from a horridus where the effects are instant and even despite immediate medical care, it may not be enough. I'll keep his family in my thoughts; makes you take a closer look at how you do things.
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RE: Another venomous keeper dead, canebrake
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by SCatheris on January 29, 2008
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you know what else is kinda creepy for me is i used to go to that pet store in VA with my dad all the time it was a few years back but we'd go in there all the time........small flippin world
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RE: Another venomous keeper dead, canebrake
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by tigers9 on January 29, 2008
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Rob_Carmichael wrote<< makes you take
a closer look at how you do things.>>
Unless you are doing something extremely stupid, which I believe you don’t, there is no reason to overreact. People die everyday doing normal routine activities, life is full of risks, you can get to the extreme, keep bleaching everything you touch, not drive car, stay home so you don’t get hit by a car, but you might still slip in your tub, have air plane land on your house, get cancer or heart attack, you cannot escape your destiny, you might end up controlling your behavior in order to be safe to the point life is no longer fun.
I lost my 4 grandparents, my aunt and my father in 6 year period from the time I was 10-16 year old kid, none of them died as a result of animal attack, all died of disease or another human mistake, aka, normal life.
I live out in the desert in the territory of Mohave green, Panamint rattler, Bark scorpion and Black widow spider , they live here uncaged, come to my house uninvited. In addition, I am totally hands on with big cats.
See this pic, this is a common occurrence inside my house in summer unless I vacuum twice a day (I don’t, I am not a slave to the house)
http://www.rexano.org/Images2/spider_scorpion.JPG
Black widow vs. scorpion, spider won and had nice scorpion lunch
I accept risks and enjoy my life, but honestly, my biggest risks are likely to drive in Las Vegas traffic.
Z
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RE: Another venomous keeper dead, canebrake
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by tigers9 on January 29, 2008
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Sorry I hit post button to fast
Z
PS:
Actually, I am extremely allergic to cats, smaller cats more than big cats, but I still have to limit my time hugging them, or I get bad allergy attack.
When bees bite me, like on finger, my lips swell up. My worst reaction so far was not to animal bites though, it was when I lived in CA to poison oak, I swelled up so bad my eyes were just slits, so doctors had to medicate me with lots of steroids/prednisone to keep down the swelling on my face and neck to keep breathing tubes open.I don't like poison oak, but I still go to the forest,(GRIN) actually, this one was in my own yard in CA, I just had no idea how allergic I was to it until I made contact.
Life is dangerous, we start dying the moment we r born, life is a death sentence. Z
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RE: Another venomous keeper dead, canebrake
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by Buzztail1 on January 29, 2008
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I believe that Rob's point is that a tragedy like this should give all of us pause as we consider whether or not we are being as careful with these deadly animals as we should be.
I agree that waking up in the morning is a risk. That is why I chose the person that I go to sleep next to very carefully - thereby minimizing the risk of dying in my sleep!
It is never too soon to start trying to do things as safely as possible and almost everyone I know can stand the ocassional wake-up call as to just how dangerous it is to keep these animals.
Am I saying anything negative about keeping them?
I don't think so.
I am just saying that we can all stand to check once in a while to see if we are being as careful as we should be. I hate losing friends and if it was due to carelessness that would be just unbearable.
Regardless of whether you are a multi-decade veteran at keeping venomous or just starting out, please be careful - you may not get another chance.
R/
Karl
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RE: Another venomous keeper dead, canebrake
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by soberwolf on January 29, 2008
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I am pretty new to the online reptile deal and unfortunately am not familiar with Mr, Bear.It sounds like the reptile community has suffered a great loss. My heart and prayers go out to his friends and family.
From what I have noticed ,people react very differently to bites, stings ect. Here lies the danger of our passion. I have seen where some people have been bitten by different species of crotalatus and died where others whether dry or envenomated bites have not been nearly as serious.
There was an example in Chino Valley rescently where a woman (whom was stabbing) a Mojave died. She was bitten several times. I am not sure of the venom type of the Mojave in that area (which is only an hour from Phoenix) but, most of the specimen in the Maricopa county (including Phx) are not found to have the "A" Type venom.
My point being "PLEASE BE CAREFUL FOLKS".....
A bee sting hurts a bit on me where it my kill someone else. And they wont know how adverse the affects until the get stung..I have never been bitten by a venomous snake. Where it might aend someone to the hospital someone else might show a deadlier reaction..
I know that most things in life worth doin carry a risk. Shelby
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RE: Another venomous keeper dead, canebrake
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by SCatheris on January 30, 2008
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Well I went to the SWS website and looked around. This wasn't his first bite. I don't mean to sound like im......blasting him and I'm not. just sayin this wasn't his first. It's too bad he had to go this way and this early as well.
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