Interview with Snake Experts
We speak to two prominent Hong Kong herpetologists about their love of reptiles.
Goatee Toni
Goatee Toni is the owner of Jurassic Garage, a warehouse animal center in Chai Wan that teaches children and adults alike about snakes, lizards and other exotic beasts. He talks to Sarah Fung about his animal encounters.
HK Magazine: What first attracted you to snakes?
Goatee Toni: When I was young, I liked all kinds of animals. I was drawn to reptiles because they are wild. They have been around since before the dinosaurs and they haven’t changed much in all that time. They have a tough life—reptiles lay eggs and the babies have to fend for themselves. I didn’t get a lot of support from my family growing up so I can relate to that.
HK: Do the animals live full time at Jurassic Garage?
GT: No, we only bring them here when we are doing a show. The rest of the time, they live on our farm in Fanling. We have around 800 snakes, which we study so we can learn more about their behavior. We also run a breeding program. Only around 50 of them are suitable to be handled by humans.
HK: What do your neighbors think of the farm?
GT: They don’t know about it! We keep our location top secret. At our old location, someone broke in and stole many valuable snakes, which is why we don’t open the farm to visitors.
HK: How do your visitors react when they first see the snakes?
GT: They are always scared of the snakes at the beginning, but it’s normal to be afraid. Once they see the true side of the snakes, they fall in love with them and they will quickly gain confidence. After the show, they want to handle more snakes. The kids are very brave, but the moms are the worst. Sometimes when we drape snakes all over their children they are rooted to the spot with fear.
HK: What has been your most memorable encounter with a snake?
GT: I was bitten by a cobra in Indonesian Borneo. We were in the middle of the jungle and there was no way we could have gotten to a hospital in time, but we had some antivenom, which I had to inject into myself. Some of my fingers aren’t straight now but at least they can still move. The venom contains a neurotoxin, so a cobra bite is not painful. You’ll just die.
HK: What should you do if you find a snake near your house?
GT: Don’t call 999—that’s basically a death sentence for the snake. Most bites happen when someone accidentally treads on a snake. One of the only snakes that will charge is the King Cobra, and these are not very common in Hong Kong.