Zoo Manager is Treated with PRP After Cobra Bite

David Weathers could give the “Crocodile Hunter” some competition with his passion for wildlife.

David Weathers, 25, of Punta Gorda, is interviewed by a film crew for the “Ripley’s Believe It or Not” television series in front of the tiger cage at Octagon Wildlife Sanctuary in North Fort Myers. DENISE L. SCOTT/news-press.com

He wrestles alligators, kisses venomous snakes and pats tigers as if they were house cats.

Now, a too-close encounter with a cobra has landed the Punta Gorda man on national television.

Weathers, 25, is president of Octagon Wildlife Sanctuary and manager of the zoo at The Shell Factory in North Fort Myers. While he was preparing a snake exhibit at the zoo in late January, an Asian monocled cobra latched onto him just below his navel.

Before he could pry its fangs free, the snake pumped enough venom into Weathers’ abdomen to kill tissue and create an internal hole the size of a softball.

Because Weathers typically travels with his own small film crew so he can pitch his expeditions to nature shows, the attack and subsequent rush to the hospital — they didn’t wait for an ambulance — were captured on videotape. That, in turn, caught the interest of “Ripley’s Believe It or Not!”

“We look for the most incredible, amazing stories,” said Stephanie Fond, a segment producer for the weekly TBS Superstation series. “When we saw the footage, we couldn’t believe they had actually captured it on camera.

“During the ride to the hospital, you can see the hole growing by the second,” she added. “It’s not pretty to look at. You have to have a strong stomach.”

The tape intrigued Fond enough to find out more about Weathers. Last week, she sent a “Ripley’s” crew to town to meet the incredible snake-bit survivor. They filmed Weathers at Octagon and also at his off-hours hangout, Fat Cat’s Drink Shack in downtown Fort Myers.

Weathers is rather nonchalant about the incident that turned his flesh black with decay. “It’s a cobra. They always want to bite,” he said. “I did things out of my normal routine of moving him. I was kind of in a hurry.”

The venom coursing through Weathers’ body could have killed him. But fast action at Lee Memorial Hospital reversed the kidney and breathing problems that began to develop. Four hours after his admission, Weathers was treated with antivenin rushed from Miami-Dade Fire Rescue’s venom center. He spent five days in the hospital.

The wound formed an abscess that ruptured, leaving a large hole in Weathers’ abdominal cavity. Doctors said it would take three months to heal, but Emery Smith, a clinical specialist with Perfusion Partners & Associates Inc. of Fort Myers, bumped up that timeline.

In a process called platelet-rich plasma therapy, Smith took platelets from Weathers’ blood sample, concentrated them into a gel and applied it to the wound.

Platelets have growth factors that stimulate tissue regeneration during the body’s natural healing process, Smith explained. Although it’s been around for about 10 years, the all-natural process has gained attention in the past couple of years after studies proved its effectiveness.

Within 10 days, Weathers’ wound healed, leaving a neat, 1€-inch scar.

It’s surprising that Weathers doesn’t have more scars to show for his lifelong fascination with dangerous animals. His avocation-turned-occupation began when he was 6 years old and his father insisted that he learn to recognize venomous snakes.

It was for Weathers’ own safety.

“Snakes have always been my forte,” he said. “When I’d catch something, my dad would make me read up on it before he’d let me keep it.”

When he was in the sixth grade and living in Davie, Weathers visited the Seminole Indian reservation in Hollywood. He landed a summer job there and learned to wrestle alligators at age 11.

Within a few years he was working with bears, tigers and other large animals on the reservation. He also worked with animals at the Billie Swamp Safari before moving to Punta Gorda in 1998.

Weathers has been behind the scenes as an animal handler on projects for the Discovery Channel and Animal Planet, but the “Ripley’s” segment will be his national debut in front of the camera.

“Ripley’s” segment director Steve Klayman’s interview with Weathers, which includes new footage of him handling the cobra that bit him, will be condensed into a three- to four-minute piece. It’s tentatively scheduled to air in August.

“This is my calling,” Weathers said about his risky business. “Just like any profession, there’s ups and downs. Firefighters get burned, police get shot. David Weathers gets bit.”