Geoff Coombe’s Living with Wildlife
Geoff Coombe has had an interest in snakes since the mid-1960s. He was one of the founding committee members of the Herpetology Group of the Field Naturalists Society of South Australia in 1971. He has empirical knowledge of venomous snakes in field situations and in captive husbandry, whilst involved in the Herp Group and when working for the SA National Parks and Wildlife Service.
His passion is helping others to understand snakes, through public displays, community snake awareness sessions and specialised training courses, dating from 1993. This work has meant travelling widely throughout Australia, and overseas to Pakistan, Scotland, New Zealand and Nepal.
The most significant display was NARAMA: the First Australian Expo of Reptiles and Amphibians held in conjunction with the Second World Congress in Herpetology in Adelaide, late 1993/94. At the time it was the largest expo of reptiles in Australia, in association with Indigenous Culture and native plants.
He has contributed to the Clinical Toxinology short courses in Adelaide since their inception in 1997 and for many years has collaborated with Paramedics Australasia and the South Australian Ambulance Service to deliver snake awareness sessions to their staff and the public in South Australia and Victoria.
Through his business, Living with Wildlife, he works in concert with the Adelaide Snake Catchers to ensure that all events are a safe and effective combination of practical skills and accurate information about our snakes.
A more recent addition to his educational portfolio is the comprehensive book Working with Snakes, an information and training manual suitable for anyone with an interest in snakes in disturbed environments in Australia and New Zealand.
