In the line of danger -thestatesman.net

Renowned herpetologist Dr Brady Barr once did a ‘dance of death’ with a cobra not to create sensational television programming. He speaks to Mathures Paul

He understands the behaviour of crocodiles like we know our family members! He is the first person to capture and study 23 species of crocodilians in the wild and has visited more than 50 countries over 15 years to understand how best to preserve them in the wild. Dr Brady Barr joined National Geographic in 1997 as resident herpetologist, and has since appeared in more than 60 National Geographic films. He speaks to The Statesman.
According to Dr Barr, one-third of all croc species are endangered. In 2002, expeditions took him to Cambodia, French Guiana, Brazil, Africa, Sri Lanka, and Thailand. In Cambodia, he made history in the scientific community by capturing a rare wild Siamese crocodile, a species once thought to be functionally extinct in the wild. A year earlier he assisted renowned paleontologist and National Geographic explorer-in-residence, Dr Paul Sereno, in his effort to recreate SuperCroc, a prehistoric fossil discovery that at 10 tons and 12 metres was among the largest crocodiles to ever roam the planet.
Born in Fort Worth, Texas, Barr grew up in Bloomington, Indiana. After receiving a Bachelor of Science in science education degree from Indiana University in 1987 he started teaching at Indianapolis' North Central High School. Moving to Florida to pursue graduate degrees at the University of Miami, Barr began extensive diet studies of alligators in Everglades National Park. The results of his ambitious research project helped preserve the unique ecosystem.
National Geographic will premier World's Deadliest Animals on 23 July and Barr shares his views on deadly animals. He also hosts a show called Dangerous Encounters on the same channel.

Observing crocodiles and snakes, you have enjoyed a fair share of new findings...
All findings are special, whether anticipated or not; that is the beauty of scientific research and the pursuit of knowledge. A few years ago I was the first person to capture a crocodile species considered functionally extinct in wild, Siamese crocodile. It was and still is very special to me because it was the first time that crocodile had been captured in 50 years.

Being around reptiles, you must have come across a few stomach-churning incidents...
Working with dangerous animals, close calls happen on a daily basis and they tend to be very stressful. The venomous snakes make me the most nervous because they are just so fast and I am old and slow. On one expedition, I crawled down an aardvark burrow and was around seven metres below ground surface when I ran into a cobra. It attacked and we did a dance of death for what seemed like an eternity. Eventually I subdued the snake, but it was horrifying to be below the surface of earth, all alone, in a fight for my life. I promised myself I wouldn't crawl down any more holes for a long time!

The death of Steve Irwin reiterated the pressures to create sensational television programming.
I am not in favour of sensational news. I am merely a scientist in pursuit of answers that happens to deal with dangerous animals. The animals take care of sensationalism on their own. I never capture an animal simply for the sake of television. It is just too dangerous for me and the animal. Many, many people are killed by these animals every year, many of them researchers, though they don't get the publicity or notoriety as someone that is well known or on TV. It is a shame.

From books it's difficult to understand animal behaviour. Were there nasty experiences while shooting Dangerous Encounters?
Before going on expeditions I always prepare myself for the worse case scenario. I think this approach keeps me safe. I am constantly afraid and fearful because I know what these animals are capable of. Being scared helps me from getting complacent. Recently I received a horrific bite from a large python while I was in a cave in Indonesia. It was a really nasty wound, more like a shark attack wound than a snake. I was surprised at how bad it was and I had to be evacuated to Singapore for treatment.

Reports of hunting animals for skin and organs continue to pour in from remote areas of India, Thailand and China. Is the situation different in the USA or Europe?
The same thing is happening here in USA but the animals are being shipped to Asia for these reasons. Foreign demand is fuelling poaching problems here in the USA. It is a really big problem. Turtle populations are getting decimated in the USA because they are being shipped to Asia as a food item.

Environmental hazards are shrinking forests and making extinct a number of species.
Everyday I deal with animals that are endangered. It is just heart breaking. All people, from all countries need to become better educated as to the condition of our planet and take better care of our natural world. Hopefully I am educating through Nat Geo to open people's eyes to the seriousness of the problem. We are living on a planet in peril.

(World's Deadliest Animals airs on National Geographic on 23 July at 9 p.m.)