Snake-Bitten: Eric Worrell and the Australian Reptile Park: [ame=http://www.amazon.com/Snake-Bitten-Eric-Worrell-Australian-Reptile/dp/1742232329/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1378141961&sr=1-1&keywords=eric+worrell]Snake-Bitten: Eric Worrell and the Australian Reptile Park: Nancy Cushing, Kevin Markwell: 9781742232324: Amazon.com: Books[/ame] I just finished reading this excellent book, and I was so enthralled with the text that I completed it within two days. Having heard of Eric Worrell, the legendary Aussie snake man, I was excited to read about his history and the park that he founded in 1959. The writing style is informative and systematic in terms of chronology, and there are 32 pages of black-and-white photos to accompany the well-written prose. Eric Worrell is justly famous for pioneering life-saving research into various snake and spider anti-venoms, and he wrote a lot of scientific papers on cold-blooded animals in his heyday. The often forgotten fact that he actually first began with the Ocean Beach Aquarium is illuminated in the book, and what was arguably Australia's finest reptile collection blossomed throughout the 1960's and 1970's. The dark side of Worrell is that he became addicted to alcohol, struggled with all sorts of paperwork and bureaucracy, and many of the husbandry methods of his era ended up being outdated. His beloved Australian Reptile Park came incredibly close to closing in the mid-'80's when financial hardship constrained him, and the zoo was eventually saved from being demolished by John and Robyn Weigel (formerly Worrell's second wife!). The book ably recaps over 50 years of the history of the reptile park and also sheds light on a legendary figure in the annals of Australian herpetology. I highly recommend this book to any devoted zoo enthusiast.
I bought this book at the Australian Reptile Park when I visited at Christmas, haven't read it yet - been working through some other books. Looks like it will be a good read.
Highly recommend it as a book to read. Does anyone else notice similar life parallels that Eric Worrell and Gerald Durrell shared.
A tribute to Peter Krausse the curator of the Australian Reptile Park for Eric Worrell from 1962-1972/'73. Responsible for many exciting exotic reptiles, mammals and birds coming to the park (and Australian ones like the parks first Perenties). Peter was also instrumental in the establishment of the parks Noctarium in 1968, the first in a Southern Hemisphere animal park or zoo (did not get rebuilt at the Somersby site): 登录 Facebook | Facebook
Peter was also a very gifted private keeper of reptiles in particular whereby he bred the first captive Woma and Oenpelli Pythons a number of years ago and became known for his Jungle Carpet Pythons, Scrub Pythons and QLD Womas.
I'm very hapy that you enjoyed Snake-Bitten, snowleopard! I've onlu just discovered your review. You will most likely be interested in the website I've now created The Eric Worrell Archive which features Worrell's published articles. All the best, Kevin
Hi Steve, Yes I agree with you, think there are quite a few similarities/paralells between Worrell and Durrell. You might be interested in a website I have now created The Eric Worrell Archive which features nearly all of Worrell's published articles (I've discovered a few more that I haven't yet asked my web-creator, Kate, to put up). All the best, Kevin
Yes, Peter was extremely important in creating the foundations of the Park and contributing more sophistcated approach to animal husbandry and exhibit design. I often wondered as I was working on the book what the Park might have achieved if Peter had stayed on for another decade.
@Kevin Markwell Thanks so much Kevin, Peter and Raija Krauss were who brought Athol the Raven back to the park at Wyoming from the outback too yeah. Peter sounded like the best curator one could wish for with his innovations to the park's animal collection and facilities, but importantly too he sounded like a really good person to look out for keepers and other staff who worked with him alongside his management. As you write in your book too he helped Eric see his boyhood dream become a reality, of building up the park to be the most (native) zoologically comprehensive and conservationally + scientifically (both antivenom supplies & research) advanced privately owned wildlife park in the country. Would understand if Eric missed him a lot in his later years at the park.
Hi again, Steve. Yes, Peter brought to the Park his European training in animal husbandry, particularly with regards to reptiles, that was far beyond where Australian standards were. Peter played a major role in the establishment of the noctarium and also the extensive collection of macropods that the ARP had in the 1960s and into the 70s. Unfortunately, Eric was not interested in many of Peter's excellent suggestions, and I think the situation became difficult to the extent that Peter decided to leave at the end of the 60s/early70s. I visited Peter several times during the course of writing the book, and he had an excellent collection of reptiles at his home, including his giant outfoor enclosures for his perenties and Bell's variant lace monitors. He gave me a stunning hatchlng woma, which I still have 17 years later.
