HE has been a police reservist; is an active neighbourhood watch member; has rescued and relocated more than 10 000 snakes in his lifetime, and has been bitten three times by venomous snakes in a career spanning 20 years; and has even appeared on TV. Some may say Jason Arnold is somewhat of a wildlife warrior, a ‘Steve Irwin’ of the north if you will, but for the former Northlands Primary School pupil, serving the community and educating people about slithering serpents is the most important thing for him.
Northglen News recently caught up with the 36-year-old to find out where it all started.
“My fascination for snakes really started when I was around 14 years old. I had a friend who kept snakes and I would often visit him and just watch the snakes he kept in terrariums. Slowly but surely my intrigue and interest grew. I started buying snakes at a local pet store in the area. I remember going to the library and repeatedly taking out the only eight snake books at the library on snakes. There was one book in particular on keeping snakes that was particularly helpful.
“That led me to start my snake catching service, which I later called Universal Reptiles, which is about creating a service to the community for the safe removal of unwanted reptiles but also offer educational talks as well as promote reptile conservation. I began printing out pamphlets and sticking them up on the road in which we lived in. And I started getting calls. My first ever venomous call-out was to a Melrose Place home where a boomslang had taken up residence. I managed to get hold of him using a grab stick, and there’s a picture of me, in my school uniform, holding on to this snake,” he recalled with a smile on his face.
The rest, as they say, is history, but Arnold can remember nearly every snake he has ever rescued. His duties though do not end there – he has also been called in to help relocate tarantulas, mongooses, leguaans, bats and even a kitten stuck up a tree. Arnold is also a member of the Association of Reptile Keepers in KwaZulu-Natal, which has microchips inserted into black mambas they release so that scientific data can be collected if they are caught again.
Incredibly he has survived two venomous snake bites, from a Mozambique spitting cobra and two black mambas (on two occasions). What’s more, it has always been on the same hand, his left.
“The first time it happened I was at a home in Reservoir Hills in 2001, looking for a spitting cobra. I walked into the bedroom where the client had spotted the snake, and the floor was covered in spare parts for various appliances. The resident was a handyman of sorts. I began rooting around and could not find the snake, so I created an area in the middle of the floor to work in. I picked up a DVD player, and I just saw the hood of the snake, he bit me and withdrew again in a flash. I remember looking at the owner, thinking ‘Holy crap’, I’ve just been bitten!”
“He insisted on driving me to the hospital and he was more panicked than me. We ended up at the hospital, and I still hadn’t felt any of the symptoms I should have experienced. The doctor kept looking at me and checking my heart. He was reading me the symptoms of a snake bite that weren’t related to a cytotoxic venom, which is what a cobra has. Thankfully though I was okay, and escaped unscathed and unharmed,” he said.
On his achievement as this month’s community hero, Arnold said he hoped through his work to show people that snakes weren’t evil.
“Snakes are often portrayed as evil creatures, and the gut reaction when some people see a snake is to kill it because they fear it. I hope that, through my love for snakes, I can help people appreciate the beauty of them.
Knowing Jason Arnold
Name five words that best describe you: I would say I’m patient, persistent, meticulous, calm and stubborn.
What do you think about when you’re alone in your car? How to become successful.
What makes you angry? I hate cruelty to animals and I hate unfriendliness.
Name one thing we don’t know about you: I don’t wear shorts. Also, nobody has seen Batman and I in the same room.
What is your strongest family memory? Going on holiday with the family to Port Edward. Every year when I was in school we would go up on a long weekend and book into one of the chalets.
Community Heroes
Gary lives for his true calling (Hero # 1)
Tyron’s aim is community safety (Hero # 2)
