Bali Reptile Rescue

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I had a fantastic opportunity to meet Peter and the others from Bali Reptile Rescue, and I am very grateful that I did. I got to see some fascinating reptiles and experience some of the daily chores. Released a nice sized reticulated python, some beautifully coloured boiga, and a couple of small spitting cobras. Traipsed around in the jungle for a night and got to see a good few reptiles. If you get the chance to head over to Bali, I would recommend spending some time with these guys. It was great to see first hand some of the very same animals posted here on the forum and to spend some time in a different reptile environment. First time I truly regretted not owning a decent camera.
 
Not a bad season
Collected 109 king cobra eggs
Released 106 baby kings
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hard terrain they live in
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Another messed up retic
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mouth rot too
but responding well and now feeding
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too many of these
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chicken muncher
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We have a rat snake ptyas koros with what I would describe as a sucking chest wound

Hole about 24cm from head of 1.3 metre snake
Hole goes into the body and we can hear it 'bubbling'
Hole is about 5mm long 2 mm wide
No visibly broken ribs
Some infection but only minor at this stage
Snake is reasonably active and alert

Have cleaned it as well as we can
In a dry viv

Should I attempt to stitch it up???

Here is our new Poster
Common Bali Snakes and bite treatment in English and Bahasa

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Kings are back in town

baby king with freshwater eel
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nice little retic
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another one with facial injuries but now feeding well
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Adrian with a couple of cynodon from a villa
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This is a true monster king
nearly dark when we found it
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big strong powerfully built
tricky little rescue
 
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I hear a noise in the ceiling
Dont worry honey its a just a 3 metre king cobra
Ok dear
Nighty night
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If you ever want to test your heart out try catching a nice king in a small dark enclosed place
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nice little king safely released

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Of course king cobras dont climb

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feeding pinky to baby king
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infected dog bite
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same retic with new scales coming from older injury
sat perfectly still while we treated it
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Dont watch the camera.. Watch the baby king
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one day you have to let my head go.....
you do understand that dont you???
hehehe
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nasty mouth infection
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some of the pus
but looking good for release soon
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unusual sight
spitting cobra in a tree
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this lady watched the cobra until we got there
made it very easy
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Record April 2013 to April 2014
Total snakes relocated
765 including 38 king cobras
Plus released 106 baby kings, 38 baby pythons and 37 baby vipers
Negatives
53 snakes that died in our care because of injuries from cats dogs humans and cars
Positives
Visiting 27 schools and groups to educate people about snakes
Getting more and more calls to identify snakes and if the snakes are harmless more people are quite happy to leave them in their garden
Travel areas

Furthest West Gilimanuk and Permutatan…. South Padang Padang…. North Lovina and Singaraja…. East Amed and Amlapura….. Then include educational work in Kalimantan and we have done ok

Not too bad for volunteers
 
We have just been offered the use of a Scoutguard motion activated camera
It will be ideal for filming a nesting king from start to finish

Kings nest in the middle of clumps of bamboo on a 45degree slope
We cannot risk losing the camera too much so nest must be in a fairly isolated location
Our first thought is a bamboo tripod mounted 1metre above the nesting queen
Probably disguise the camera inside a coconut or similar natural object
We cannot check it for focus etc because it will be above about 4metres of a highly defensive queen

Questions
How sensitive are these to movement?
Can we disable the flash system?
How wide is the shot?

Any other suggestions
We have a few months to work everything out
but will only get one shot at this if we stuff it up
 
Very cool when the caller actually takes the opportunity to hold the snake
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last of the baby kings finally eating by itself
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over 9metres of king cobra
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1 hour of chipping away concrete in a hot tiny pump room
Jammed in there with an unhappy spitting cobra
Not my idea of fun
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Some of may know I was tagged by a cobra
Here is the start of a fairly detailed account of exactly what happened
Some of what I did is totally against normal bite protocols but was done because we were told we could not get ante venon until at least the following day

Cobra Bite Naja sputatrix Sunday 25th May 8.40pm


Received a call about a cobra in a villa at Seminyak
Bit of a panic from callers because kids were present and parents scared
Instead of going home to gear up properly, which would have taken too long, I went straight there

Only bag was light cotton without a draw string, and I had a torch but no hook

Cobra about 1.2metre long behind a statue
I tailed it out into the open and bagged it

Because there was no draw string I had to tie the bag with a knot. Ist mistake
It bit me straight through the bag as I tied it

Within about 2 minutes I knew it was a wet bite
Stinging pain moving up the finger beside my right thumb. Immediately washed the wound
No compression bandage available because I hadn’t geared up before attending the call, 2nd mistake

Home owners worried but told them it would be ok and probably dry bite so they didn’t get scared more than they were

Rang Shinta to notify Sanglah hospital cobra bite was on the way
She rang back to say no ante venon in Bali right now. Rode bike back to Kuta

Purchased compression bandage and visited friends in Kuta who had a scalpel
Made three cuts and removed a lot of venom
Compression bandage really slowing the spread but hand and fingers swelling quickly
When hand was straight down beside my body very big increase in pain level. Much more comfortable with hand tucked into shirt

Home by 10.30pm with friends waiting
Getting increasing pains right up arm, particularly in wrist and elbow joints
Bite wound area and blood black colour by this stage probably from haemotoxic part in venom

With possibly no access to ante venon decided on trying something else
Venom travels just under the skin so basically turned my finger into a pin cushion. Kept increasing pressure gradually all the way down from the shoulder until blood started running red again and clear lymph fluid was steadily leaking
Headache slowly growing worse with feelings of nausea but no vomiting and significant pain behind left knee. Vision affected but not too badly.
Tried to stay calm, give instructions and teach body to fight back

Found out that Siloam hospital has 2 vials of Biofarma polyvalent in stock
Went there immediately and discussed things with doctor at about 1.50am
No swabs done or reaction to ante venon tests done
Put onto saline drip, blood pressure etc recorded 124/77 pulse 65
Did an ecg? Heart test. Huge problems fixing probes to a monkey and two tetanus shots

At this stage hand swollen pretty well. High pain level in wrist and 2 finger joints. Nice headache and recurring stomach cramps with same pain behind left knee
2 vials of ante venon added directly into feed from saline drip
Given strong pain killers that I would not have taken if I knew what they were, and good antibiotics

Within 40 minutes I could feel the ante venon working and was confidant of a good result
Slept until 7am. Visit from doctor who was recommending lots of irrelevant testing
Basically refused them all because could not see the point
Pain killers wore off shortly after this and let my body tell me what what was going on
Still uncomfortable behind left knee… significant pain base of right thumb and 3 fingers, mild headache no feeling of nausea. Swelling of hand increased in diameter but lessened in height. No pain in arm elbow or shoulder. Ate breakfast with no feelings of nausea . drank lots of water and sweet tea
Refused more painkillers but took anti biotics
Blood pressure 115/80 heart 56pm

Since I was having to tell the doctors what to do and no more ante venon was available if required, I couldn’t be bothered staying, so I released myself at 12.30pm and went home. Cost of 12hrs treatment 8jt

Concentrated on directing my body to fight different areas as required
5am Tuesday 27th May
Slight pain behind left knee. Still pain and swelling in three fingers, thumb, and joints with now some pain in wrist joint. . Possible onset of necrosis? no headache nausea or other symptoms. Bite wound bleeds red and flesh around bite has resumed normal colouration for any wounded area. Pain level still increases if hand is let hang straight down
1.50pm Tuesday 27th may
Pain behind left knee gone. Same pain in wrist and fingers. No signs of any other pain swelling or nausea. Cannot form a fist because of swelling. Can definitely move fingers more freely. Cannot use hand for many things but could catch and hold head of 3metre wild retic while I removed ticks with left hand. Anything larger would not be an option. Interesting addition. Swapped hands with head of retic now held in left hand. Difficulty removing ticks with right hand. Coordination is great but delicate work not an option yet.

Most food tastes the same but some tastes are definitely wrong with food I enjoy tasting pretty foul. Sense of smell affected but not too badly
Taking no painkillers so I can feel what is happening. Quite uncomfortable but bearable. Am using medixon 4mg [Methylprednisolone] for swelling twice daily. Taking cefspan 200mg once daily as anti biotic.

Played with the cobra for a few minutes to get rid of any potential fear factor and put it in a better box until release on 29th. Very feisty but handling felt ok so will be no dramas. Could use hook but only for a short time I think, and tailed with left hand as per usual
 
Wow sorry to hear that mate, sounds like those first few hours would have been a bit worrying with the thought of no antivenin. Good to hear your on the road to recovery, keep us updated.
Cheers shane
 
Wow u did a great job staying so calm! They say panic makes it worse dont they? U know recently there was a guy bitten by a brown here in QLD and apparently he sat back n relaxed with a beer while waiting 4 ambos! I myself would probably hit the ground in fetal position and cry lol. Anyway great story Lonqi sorry to hear u were bitten but glad to hear all ended well :)
 
I think all relocators can relate to going to jobs not fully prepared or equipped on occasions. I only hope if I I ever got tagged I would have the prescence of mind to be able to record the event in the way you did. Great story and thanks for sharing.
 
this is the darling who donated the venom
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hands last night 3 days after bite
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making sure hand still works with same cobra
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