Austin Stevens Exclusive Interview

Nicknamed the 'Snakeman', the herpetologist, wildlife photographer, adventurer, author, survivalist, television presenter, and film-maker, Austin Stevens, has rocketed to international fame, through his passion for the wild. His knowledge about reptiles is unrivalled by his contempories, and he has become a prime-time headliner on many of the worlds TV channels including Discovery, Animal Planet and Channel FIVE. It is an honour to be able to speak to the great man...

AustinStevens.net

1.Austin, you were interested by snakes from a young age, but what ignited this passion?

I was somehow naturally always interested in the outdoors and fascinated by wild animals. My home, on the outskirts of Pretoria at that time, was surrounded by natural bush and a flowing river. However, at the age of twelve, I found my first snake. It was a juvenile Red-Lipped Herald, a harmless back-fanged species, which when cornered, puts up a great display of aggression, flattening it’s head and striking out as though it is a deadly viper. I was in fact at that time not sure at all that it was not a dangerous species, but carefully scooped it into a glass jar and proudly took it home to show my parents. My parents were not impressed, proclaiming that all snakes were dangerous, and that I should immediately dispose of the creature. This unhelpful response, more that anything else, probably triggered what was to become my insatiable lust for greater knowledge of these creatures, and was to be the dawning of Austin Stevens – “Snake Man”

2. Many people are confronted by venomous snakes each year, if you could give one piece of advice, in that situation, what would it be?

Few snakes are dangerous to humans (highly venomous) and all snakes are shy and elusive. Thus should a human encounter a snake in the wild, there is a greater chance than not of the snake being harmless, and it is certain that the encounter is by accident, not intent on the part of the snake. Should one encounter a snake, it is certainly best to either keep still, or step back and away. Snakes do not actively seek out humans, (as humans are too large to be considered prey) and so is usually experiencing as much fright as the human, and will shoot off for the closest cover. A snake is only dangerous if it has been stepped on or cornered, in which case it may possibly strike out in a natural self defence. Stand back from a snake and you have nothing to fear.

3.Austin, our favourite ‘Austin Stevens Adventure’ was your search for the man-eating reticulated python in Borneo, but what was your personal favourite quest?

I have two personal favourite episodes, my search for the King Cobra in India, and my search for the Komodo Dragon in Asia. These two reptiles represent the biggest in their class. King Cobra, the biggest venomous snake in the world, and the Komodo Dragon, the biggest lizard in the world, and both of these I had all my life dreamt of seeing and photographing in the wild. And when I finally came face to face with a 14ft long King Cobra, I was awe-struck, and nervous, and excited, and amazed, all at the same time. I had never seen anything so potentially deadly at such close quarters, and never before seen a snake, with such potential lethal power, show so much tolerance and intelligence. I will never forget the experience.

With the Komodo Dragons, I was once again blown away! I had never before experienced such raw power in a lizard. Lacking the casual tolerance of the King Cobra, this brute lizard astonished me with it’s single mindedness in it’s search for food. Food sometimes as large as a wild boar which it was capable of running down, overpowering, and eating. The Komodo Dragon is the most awesomely fascinating reptile on this planet.

4.We were stunned by your amazing feat of spending a world-record-breaking - 107 days in a cage full of venomous snakes - what kept you going for this unbelievable amount of time; especially after the venomous bite you received?

  The 107 day World Record snake “Sit-In” that I did many years ago, was chiefly to bring awareness to the plight of the African gorilla, a highly endangered species that desperately needs protection still today. We had a male gorilla named ‘Kaiser’ at the park at Hartebeespoort, where I worked at that time, and the hope was to acquire a female partner so as to attempt breeding. As an experienced herpetologist, I felt the “Sit-in” was the one thing possible for me to do, that would attract world attention. The cage was 4 metres by 3 metres in size, and contained 36 of Africa’s most common highly venomous snakes, including black mambas. I was bitten by an Egyptian cobra on day 96, but was treated in the cage which allowed me to continue and set the World Record. Though there have been a number of other similar records attempted, this record has never been duplicated or beaten.

5. Photography is clearly your passion, do you have any top tips to give to aspiring wildlife photographers?

Photography developed naturally from my interest in reptiles and other wildlife. Reptiles especially, with their amazing assortment of colours, shapes and sizes, brought me into the world of macro photography. Close photography with reptiles has endless possibilities, as one can get very close up, not only for that macro shot, but also with a wide angle lens, that allows the animal in question to fill the screen, while at the same time the surrounding background enhances the picture. This is especially effective with desert and/or jungle surroundings. But of course, when photographing certain venomous snakes, one should be aware of the reptile’s ability to strike out, and thus close up photography with venomous creatures should only be practiced by those with some knowledge or experience of the subject in question.

6.You live, work and breathe the wilderness, but could you ever see yourself living in the city?

I have never lived in a city, and never will. When I visit in a city I soon find myself agitated and bad tempered. It is not natural that so many people should be forced to exist in such a way. I live in a desert town at the very edge of the Namib Desert, surrounded by great sand dunes to the east, and the Atlantic Ocean to the west, and all manner of open-spaced wilderness in between and surrounding that. Within a few kilometers of my cottage I can encounter desert reptiles and springbok and jackals and brown hyenas, while just a 100 kilometers north I can already expect to see desert elephants and desert lions, and an amazing assortment of other wildlife. There are vast and beautiful horizons in every direction. This is how life is supposed to be.

7. You have had both an amazing life and career – but could you ever imagine yourself doing anything different?

No, I cannot ever be what I am not. Not even when finances run so low that I am surviving on little but baked beans and bread – still I am not able to bring myself to settle into any other means of support. I am long ago set in my ways, and simply have to do what I do with whatever I can muster. There have been many lean times, but never a dull moment. And there should never be, as long as there is remaining wilderness and wildlife to photograph.

8. You are a world renowned photographer, herpetologist, a wildlife guru; you have produced and directed your own films, and hit-documentaries; released best selling books and travelled to the furthest corners of the world – but what does the future hold for ‘Austin Stevens’?

Living the style of life I do, means never knowing what lies around the next bend. Often poverty, sometimes a brief period of security -- but almost always adventure. And though many people have expressed to me that they could never live with the insecurity, I find myself thriving on it. Quite simply it means that whatever happens next will be new and not previously experienced, and therefore, to my way of thinking, exciting. Right now I am relocating to Australia, with no definite plan, but with the idea to photograph every wild thing that moves on that continent, and see where that takes me.

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