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A South Carolina man is reportedly fighting for his life after being bitten by one of the most venomous snakes in the world late last week.
Jeff Liebowitz, a teacher at South Florence High School, was transported to the intensive care unit at McLeod hospital after being bitten by an Inland Taipan in the early morning hours on Friday (September 6, 2024).
The Inland Taipan – Oxyuranus microlepidotus – is a species of snake found in central Australia. While it is not aggressive, the snake is extremely agile, accurate and highly venomous – fifty times more venomous than a King Cobra and 100 times more venomous than an eastern diamondback rattlesnake, according to one of the first scientific studies (.pdf) of the reptile conducted years ago in Queensland.
What was one of these snakes doing at a residence located in a home just north of Florence, S.C.?
That’s a question local authorities – and state wildlife experts – are hoping to answer as they continue to investigate the circumstances surrounding Liebowitz’s hospitalization.
Multiple updates have been posted to social media regarding Liebowitz’s status, although as of this writing we have been unable to confirm his condition. Liebowitz is a “free-handler” of venomous snakes, meaning he uses only his bare hands to hold them.
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According to one toxicology expert, being bitten by an Inland Taipan is “a worst-case scenario” due to its “unique predatory ecology” and its “incredibly toxic venom.”
“Taipan envenomations are incredibly dangerous and just about the worst thing to be bitten by,” wrote Bryan Fry, a toxicology professor who has been following the Liebowitz saga. “That is because taipans are specialists upon very dangerous prey animals such as long-haired rats. Mammals quite capable of severely injuring or even killing a snake predator. So they have evolved strategies to absolutely nuke their very dangerous prey. Giving it no chance of retaliating.”
According to Fry, Liebowitz might survive the initial bite but still sustain permanent nerve damage that is “irreversible by the antivenom.”
“Even after the toxins have been removed by the antivenom, the damage is done,” he wrote, adding that bite victims could “take weeks, months, or years to recover. If at all.”
“Some taipan victims have permanent nerve damage, with resulting neuromuscular issues such as walking problems,” Fry added.
Liebowitz was on social media pleading for anti-venom for the snake in the aftermath of being bitten.
“Anyone who has anti-venom for an Inland Taipan or knows someone who does please call McLeod Hospital in Florence South Carolina,” he wrote in one update on a Facebook page he administers.
Liebowitz posted a video of him handling an Inland Taipan just hours before he was bitten.
“I can control his turn,” Liebowitz said on the video. “There’s no need to be so scared of him.”
Liebowitz’s plight has prompted intense debate among those who handle dangerous reptiles, with many criticizing him for failing to follow basic safety protocols including storing the animals properly and keeping the correct antivenom on hand.
A snake expert at the Kentucky Reptile Zoo refused to send Liebowitz antivenom from her facility’s supply, arguing to do so would compromise the safety of her workers. Several weeks ago, the zookeeper wrote on her Facebook page that “reckless free handlers” should not count on her facility to save them, arguing “my employees are more important.”
An investigation into the circumstances of Liebowitz’s bite is being conducted by the Florence, S.C. police department with support from the S.C. Department of Natural Resources (SCDNR). According to reporter Jordan White of WBTW TV-13 (CBS – Florence/ Myrtle Beach), fourteen venomous snakes were removed from Liebowitz’s home – including one Inland Taipan.
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In a statement issued by Florence police captain Stephen Starling on Friday afternoon, dispatchers received a call at around 2:30 a.m. EDT from “a citizen stating he was bitten by a snake and needed medical attention.”
Emergency medical services responded and “transported the subject to the hospital to receive medical care.”
“Later in the morning, the police department was made aware that this subject had a privately owned collection of venomous snakes and was bitten by one of them,” Starling added. “It was determined that numerous ‘wild’ or dangerous animals may have been kept at the location, so a search warrant was conducted to ensure there was not a threat to public safety. A family member authorized the snakes to be collected by the department. There were fourteen snakes collected and one domestic cat which was taken by animal control. We do not believe any threat to public safety exists.”
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UPDATE |
Florence police have released additional information about their investigation into the circumstances surrounding this incident.
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ABOUT THE AUTHOR …
Will Folks is the owner and founding editor of FITSNews. Prior to founding his own news outlet, he served as press secretary to the governor of South Carolina, bass guitarist in an alternative rock band and bouncer at a Columbia, S.C. dive bar. He lives in the Midlands region of the state with his wife and eight children.
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15 comments
Kentucky Reptile Zoo is wrong for that.
No they’re aren’t. It’s their property and he is a moron that brought it on himself. Their own safety is more important than his, specially considering how reckless he’s is. That guy has no business keeping animals of any sort or being a teacher with his social media posts
It wrong all day long.
I got a snake like that in my pants.
KRZ is not wrong for that. It’s wrong for people to expect them to expend such resources for childish, reckless behavior that EVERYONE knows is ‘when not if’ behavior.
You go jump off a cliff don’t complain when the ground hurts.
It’s wrong for the zoo to let a man die when they could save his life.
false dichotomy logical fallacy.
I don’t agree for two reasons: first, the priority for antivenin should be the saving of a current bite victim, not saving it for a future one. Second—and I’ll admit this is speculation on my part—I’d be willing to bet that if the victim was a relative of the KRZ “expert”, that antivenin would be sent without a single pang of regret.
I am sorry, but I disagree with you. Those gloves are horrible because you don’t have much feeling in them, and snakes don’t mind warm hand at all. Free handling captive snakes is OK, it’s sometimes the preferred method provided you are experienced, familiar with the particular snake you’re handling, be able to read the snake’s body language and don’t do it on a bad day. However, I would never support free handling of wild snakes.
No, they are not wrong. You want to be fool enough to keep and handle the most venomous snake on the planet without proper first aid snake bite kit, anti-venom on hand or an agreement from a zoo to acquire it if bitten, then you can’t expect to be bailed out if things go sideways. Typical yank entitlement.
Free handling venomous snakes is intentionally putting yourself at an entirely unnecessary risk of an immediate envenomation. It is like playing Russian roulette. Free handlers post their reckless, narcissistic stunts solely to bring attention themselves. Sadly, this then encourages other people to mimic these stupid antics. Responsible venomous reptile owners learn protocols used to protect themselves from being bitten. Responsible venomous owners have antivenom to protect themselves in the event of an accident. People who intentionally play Russian roulette with venomous snakes are a cancer upon the community of responsible reptile owners. We have seen that the result of free handlers being bit has been legislation that even bans possession of nonvenomous reptiles due to irrational fear of snakes in general. Free handling venomous snakes does not prove your toughness, just your stupidity. If you want to prove your toughness, you can participate in some competitive sports activity.
Play stupid games, win stupid prizes!
I watch a lot of venomous reptile handlers on YouTube. This guy takes free handling to another level. He made a video showing where you can touch the snake according to the position of the snake. He only had a matter of time before he got bit and it came across in his videos loud and clear. I don’t blame the zoo for not giving thier stash to him. For one, it’s extremely expensive but this guy has been very lucky it took him this long to get bit.
Play stupid games win stupid prizes
LOL LOL we have plenty of deadly animals in Australia, I live in the bush and have a healthy respect for them, snakes, spiders, crocs and Roos can give you a bit of whato too when cranky etc, if you don’t it can go south very quickly, just like with this peanut…..