SHOWBIZ: Sibling saviours

Animal Planet’s Keszey brothers make a living by putting their lives on the line to save some very dangerous creatures

ROBBIE and Stephen Keszey will tell you that running the family business really bites — they risk their lives on a daily basis, working with wild and dangerous animals in the swamps of Florida.

Older brother Robbie is a veteran of the 1980s metal scene. He is passionate about all things scaly. Stephen is a former New York City bartender who is more comfortable hailing a cab than handling a snake.

The unlikely pair return to Animal Planet in new episodes of Swamp Brothers which premieres next month.

Therun Glades Herp Farms, Florida’s largest reptile sanctuary and exotic reptile dealership. It also houses Florida’s International Teaching Zoo, which is full of rare species of animals from around the globe and brings in a constant stream of new and different animals each month. In each episode, the brothers put themselves on the line to protect the most unusual of creatures — from venomous snakes to aggressive crocodilians.

The brothers didn’t set out to work with slithering, sharp-toothed animals. As a child, Robbie loved two things: Music and wildlife. After high school, he moved to Los Angeles to play bass in a rock band, living a life of excess on the Sunset Strip. Eventually realising his true passion was for wildlife and reptiles, he moved to Florida and Glades Herp Farm, bringing with him his rock ‘n’ roll attitude and a penchant for living on the edge.

Today, he is a skilled expert in all herpetofauna — especially crocodilians and venomous snakes and teaches people to conserve and respect animals. His goal is to one day take what he’s learnt on the farm and open his own teaching zoo.

Stephen, on the other hand, is a city boy at heart who headed straight for the Big Apple after graduating from university. For 14 years, Stephen worked as a bartender, his dream job, where drinking, telling jokes and flirting with girls were all in a day’s work.

When Robbie asked Stephen to help him expand the business, the latter was, initially, not thrilled to leave the big city life, especially when it meant spending his time around dangerous animals. Overly-cautious by nature, Stephen concedes that where reptiles are concerned, he always bows to the expertise of his brother.

From pythons to exotic alligators, the brothers make it their business to track, capture and return them to a safe environment — without losing life or limb in the process.

Here are some episode descriptions:

For Love And Boar
On the way to Miami to purchase a Siamese crocodile, Robbie and Stephen get a call informing them that there are wild hogs on the farm. Robbie enlists Al Roberts to catch and kill the boars before they destroy the alligator nests.

Once Bitten
The brothers have to move an injured alligator to a safer home. To make a few extra bucks, they help out at a local reptile farm. With their regular help out of action, a new volunteer comes to Glades Herp Farm.

Weekend Warriors
Al Roberts takes two insurance brokers on the adventure of a lifetime. The “city boys” need to survive a standoff with an angry wild boar, a minimal means camp-out in the woods, and an early morning hunt for an American alligator. With crossbows, harpoons, tomahawks and teeth, one mistake could make this extreme weekend a deadly one for the clients and that’s never good for business in Florida.

Special Delivery
Robbie and Stephen receive a snake call from an unusual location — they have to rescue some fierce fighters from a fiercer rattler. Then, Stephen gets a hot lead about a male Siamese crocodile to breed with their new female. Later, the Keszey brothers cut a deal for four new exotic crocodilians.

The Good, The Bad And The Bloody
When shots are fired on the farm and the gate is found unlocked, the Glades Herp Farm staff rushes into the alligator marsh in search of intruders. The next morning, an animal welfare check brings a new discovery. Later, Robbie risks life and limb to ensure the safety of his prize breeding alligator.

Swamp Brothers begins on July 2 and will air every Monday at 3pm, Wednesday (7pm) and Saturday (10pm) on Animal Planet (Astro Channel 556).

Swamp Brothers Stephen (left) and Robbie Keszey

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