iStockphoto / reptiles4all
A South Carolina man by the name of Jeffrey Leibowitz is fighting for his life after receiving a bite from an inland taipan which is known as the world’s most venomous snake.
To date, nobody in the United States has ever died from an inland taipan bite and that’s primarily because (1) they are indigenous to Australia and rarely owned as pets in America, (2) most responsible pet owners in the United States have expensive anti-venom in case of a bite recognizing that the tens of thousands of dollars is worth the potential chance of a bite, and (3) most responsible exotic pet owners treat the world’s most venomous snake with the utmost respect and caution.
That last point is why this man who is currently fighting for his life is receiving a ton of backlash from the exotic pet community. In fact, hist most recent video on Instagram shows him handling an inland taipan without gloves and describing how he can ‘control’ the snake with movements of his hand. Again, this is the most venomous snake on planet earth and he’s not wearing any protection at all and has no anti-venom in the house in case of a bite!
One thing about the bite from an inland taipan, the world’s most venomous snake, is it isn’t just a single bite. They are going to rapid strike multiple times.
The average quantity of venom released from each bite is 44mg and one single bite releases enough venom to kill 100 adult men if the venom hits the bloodstream which, when there are multiple bites, the chances are high. Inland taipan venom also contains neurotoxins to shut down the nervous system, hemotoxins to impact the blood, myotoxins to attack muscles, and more.
It’s truly one of the worst bites imaginable and many people in the exotic pet community are saying that even if he survives his life will be torturous due to the damage he sustained from the venom.
Backlash Over Bite From World’s Most Venomous Snake?!
iStockphoto / Ken Griffiths
You might be wondering why people would be mad that he was bitten by a snake and there’s a really informative TikTok video (below) that lays it all out. The gist is: anti-venom for inland taipans is extremely rare and extremely expensive in the United States. After receiving this bite, a call was put out to anyone who could rush anti-venom in order to save his life. Here is that video detailing the story:
@thatweirdgeckoguy My thoughts on the Taipan bite currently in the news.
Given that this guy has many videos where he dangerously handles deadly snakes *and* the people who were currently in possession of the inland taipan anti-venom were responsible owners, some refused. The Kentucky Reptile Zoo refused, and rightfully so, arguing that it would put the zoo’s reptile workers at risk to part with the anti-venom all to save someone who was being needlessly unsafe and willingly putting their life at risk.
On his latest video where Jeffrey Leibowitz can be seen handling an inland taipan and saying “I can control his turn, there’s no need to be so scared of him,” the comments reflect anger from the exotic pet and reptile community that his dangerous actions resulted in this and their safety should not be at risk to save him.
The comments read “how’s that total control going?” and “How’s the consequences of these actions going?” and “Think of the resources spent to get an antivenom for a rare taipan in the states. At some point one has to think that free-handling a small taipan is just a selfish action.” and someone pointed out “All his snakes are dead now. Humanely euthanized after he was bit because he didn’t follow basic protocol when it came to hots.”
In addition to the inland taipan, the world’s most venomous snake, a search of his house revealed he was also in possession of a ” reen mamba, two gaboon vipers, a fer-de-lace, a death adder, an eastern diamondback rattlesnake, two other adult rattlesnakes of unknown species, to black forest cobras, two neotropical rattlesnakes, a small rattlesnake” according to Penn Live.
It is clear that nobody wants to see this man lose his life. But when pressed between risking their own safety by surrendering anti-venom because he opted not to purchase it himself, and sending the anti-venom which can cost tens of thousands of dollars in the United State *and* is complicated to preserve, it’s not surprising that many exotic snake owners are speaking out against how reckless he was handling the snakes.