By Ed Harp

"This is not a pet, it's a predator," Tim Harrison reminds his audience during one of his frequent public lectures. He's talking about an exotic "pet" he captured and rescued after it escaped. Or perhaps it was simply turned loose because the owner could no longer handle it. Whatever the reason, it ultimately ended up being Harrison's responsibility.

Harrison lives an interesting life. He is an exotic wildlife specialist. Put another way, he earns a living capturing other people's mistakes. His stories are endless - some funny, some tragic, all informative.

Now, you might think an exotic wildlife specialist would live in Africa, Australia, Asia or some other far-away place. Not so with Harrison. He lives in one of our nation's most urban environments - a venue made not of tall grass, native tribes and missionaries, but of tall buildings, multi-lane highways, traffic lights and apartment complexes.

His brother, Jim, is also involved. Jim owns and operates the Kentucky Reptile Zoo and Captive Born Venom Lab (http://www.geocities.com/ kentuckyreptilezoo/). The name speaks for itself.

The facility is open to the public. Reptiles can be observed in natural surroundings, adopted and photographed. Adoptions are in name only. All animals remain on the premises. Most of the residents have been rescued from one place or another. They're offered a rare chance to live out their lives in peace and harmony.

For those who are so inclined, there's an observation window that offers an excellent view of the snakes. Just about every snake on the planet is represented. More than 600 are milked each week. Visitors can watch the process from the safety of a specially constructed deck protected by glass. The venom is sold for medical research.

The brothers have decades of experience capturing, controlling or removing unwanted animals and pets. Their exploits include encounters with cobras, vipers, bears, alligators and wolves.

Some were purchased and housed by owners who kept them because it was "cool" to own something dangerous. A surprising number were purchased by people who think of themselves as animal lovers. Never mind that they don't know a thing about how to care for such an animal, don't understand the expense involved and don't appreciate the danger.

This puff adder, a kissin' cousin to the rhino viper, doesn't like to be handled. Moments after this photo was taken it escaped Jim Harrison's grasp and had to be recaptured. Photo by Ed Harp

Upon their arrival at the house, the Harrisons were confronted by a crowd of nearly 400 people. The local TV news anchor, complete with a film crew, was standing at the ready. OK, here goes, they thought.

After clearing the crowd they entered the garage with the film crew in tow. They didn't find the expected harmless backyard snake, nor did they find a king cobra. What they did find was a monocle cobra hiding behind a folding table!

The story goes like this: A woman returned home from running a few errands and shopping. When she stepped out of her van she felt something strange under her foot. It felt like a snake. As most of us would do, she screamed and jumped back.

Looking down she saw a fully puffed-out cobra staring back at her.

She ran into the house telling her husband about it. Laughing, he got a broom and went to the garage thinking he was about to capture a cobra that would turn out to look very much like a garden snake. When he saw the cobra, he called the authorities. They called the Harrisons.

The snake was captured without incident. It was not destroyed.

Where did it come from? That's never been determined. The local zoos and reptile facilities weren't missing any monocle cobras. No private owners ever owned up to losing one. Its origin was a mystery then, as it is now. Cobras are native to Africa, Australia and Asia, so it didn't get in that garage by itself.

Rhino vipers are extraordinarily beautiful and unusual in appearance. Their colors range from blue, black, purple and red to yellow. They have large, horn-like protrusions on their head. Rhinos are native to the rain forests of Africa and are related to the fer-de-lance. Their venom is extremely toxic and their fangs quite long. In short, they're dangerous snakes.

What he found in the residence was remarkable. Near the cage was a half-frozen rat and a pair of tongs. It appeared as if the fireman was bitten while feeding his pet. It may have been an accidental bite. Maybe the snake missed the rat. Maybe it was a defensive bite. No one will ever know.

The unfortunate man stopped breathing within minutes of being bitten. Despite heroic medical efforts, he was pronounced dead shortly thereafter. The man had a family.

Tim was able to capture the snake without anyone else being hurt. The snake currently lives in a local reptile rescue facility.

In both these stories the snakes were lucky. They were rescued by a professional and are still alive. Most such snakes are not so lucky. They are usually killed on the spot, no questions asked. Our fireman was not as lucky as his snake. He was the one killed on the spot.

Current Internet prices for cobras start at around $100. Rhino vipers are more expensive. A 20-inch one will set you back $199. On top of the purchase price you'll need $68 for Delta DASH shipping and another $10 for the box.

If you should be bitten by a venomous snake, don't panic. (Yes, I know, but that's what the experts say.) In many cases, the bites are dry; in others, the snake injects only a small amount of venom.

Seek medical treatment immediately. Most bites are not fatal if treated. Try to capture the snake if you can do so safely. Identification is important. Treatment varies by species.

Be wary of identifying a snake from photographs. Most photographed snakes are healthy, their colors vibrant. Pet snakes are often in poor condition with very different colors. Let experts help, if possible.

Consider this case of misidentification. Tim was once asked to treat a sick snake. "It just won't eat," was the owner's description of the problem. He was told the snake was a small constrictor purchased at a swap meet. When Tim arrived he was astounded. The "constrictor" was in fact a coral snake.

Don't, for any reason, keep a venomous snake as a pet. Don't keep any snake as a pet. "It doesn't make sense," is Tim Harrison's straightforward advice.

One of Tim's best bear stories illustrates the point. Cuddles, a 200-pound black bear, lived with her master in a third-story apartment. For a time this arrangement worked out well enough.

Sure, the neighbors heard a few strange sounds coming from the apartment, but what the heck? They thought it was probably just a big dog of some sort. After all, who would keep a bear in an apartment? The thought never crossed their minds.

That is, until one of them decided to fix a little lunch one day. The neighbor thought spaghetti with strong garlic sauce sounded good. So did Cuddles.

The bear ripped through the wall separating the two apartments - studs, drywall, pictures and all - to reach his Italian dinner. As the cook screamed and ran away, Cuddles calmly ate lunch.

Violating his own rule of never disturbing a wild animal when food is nearby, Tim led Cuddles out to the animal control van with the remnants of the spaghetti.

This story ended without tragedy. Not all do. It could just have easily have ended in death or serious injury to the neighbor, not to mention Tim while he was trying to control the bear. The physical strength of such an animal is enormous. Even without trying, they can hurt you.

Cuddles now lives in a rescue facility.