Anyone remember this story in the news?

I remember seeing this story in the news back when it happened. Apparently a scottish venomous keeper by the name of Garrick Wales headed out to America to pick up a shipment of African snakes including a 4ft Black Mamba and a Forest Cobra, and was nailed whilst handling them in his car (as you do!). Anyone ever heard of this guy?

http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/scotland/4083422.stm

http://news.scotsman.com/snakebitedeath/Snakebite-death-link-to-murky.2531436.jp

I remember reading it at the time and seeing an article somewhere suggesting that it was suicide!

I'd never heard of the guy and dont know anyone who did know him.

Perhaps he was like the government iraq guy who allegedly killed him self?

Bring on the conspiracy theories I love em"!!!

I remember it well - although I thought it was a green mamba.

Dave

interesting to see the over-hyped reporting in some places... but nevertheless this case just underlines the seriousness of the hobby and proves it is not one to be taken lightly!

David Nixon wrote:I remember it well - although I thought it was a green mamba.

Dave

The article states that there was a twig snake, black mamba, green mamba, boomslang and forest cobra in the box, unless your thinking of the green mamba that nailed an electrician in florida earlier this year?

No, I'm thinking of the report you are talking about - I knew there were more, now yiu say boomslang I remember - there was green and black.

Dave

Is it true about not being able to tell which snake it came from? Or do the types of venon of the snakes listed in the news article give similar symptoms? maybe a question for Brian?

Cheers

Matt

Hi Matt,
Regards the venoms, the Black and Green Mambas would be roughly the same, the Boomslangs and Twig Snake would be the same, and the Forest Cobra would be quite like the Mambas. There are differences in the three groups of snakes, but to most people, the signs and symptoms would be hard to tell apart. Obviously, the Boomslang bite would be easy to tell apart from the Mambas, but probably not the Green from the Black.
Cheers,
Brian.