David Jones is probably not somebody you want to hang out with. Not because he isn't a very cool dude (he certainly is), but he comes with a lot of baggage: 40 deadly snakes, to be precise.
Jones is living in a room near Damodoryn, South Africa, for the next 121 days with more than three dozen constrictors, green mambas, boomslangs and other variations of killer serpents in an attempt to set a Guinness world record.
The record for most days spent confined to a (mental institution) space with this particular number of snakes is 113, set by Martin Smit in 2008. Jones is doing this for charity and -- as he tells Asylum -- because he loves the reptiles.
"I am hoping people will realize that we can live with these fantastic creatures without fearing and killing them. People come and see me here and are constantly amazed at how I can interact with these animals and, providing I give them respect, we can live together happily."
Keep reading to see what it means for Jones to live with these creatures.
"The snakes are not restrained in any way and have the full use of the entire room including my bed, shower and toilet," Jones explains.
They mainly hide out in cupboards or on the various makeshift branches or bushes that Jones has in their shared quarters. Once a week, someone brings captured mice and rats from a local park to offer as a sacrifice to the snakes.
This daredevil and Steve Irwin type is forced to move the snakes with a "hook stick" throughout the day, just so he can do things like sit at his desk or type on his laptop, his only method of contacting the outside world. (His wife and children are supportive of his endeavor, by the way, although they stay far away from his little apartment.)
Often, he says, the snakes drop on his pillow or shoulders as he's trying to work or sleep, but there have so far been no instances of Jones being bitten by one of these deadly terrors.
While some might question his chances of survival, Jones reminds us that it's all worth it, if people donate to his charity of choice. That would be St. Catherine's Hospice in his birthplace of Crawley, England.
"My mother-in-law spent her last few days there, and if I can help them to continue the great work they do, that will also be an achievement to me." Excuse us, we have something in our eye -- and it's not snake venom.
Jones is living in a room near Damodoryn, South Africa, for the next 121 days with more than three dozen constrictors, green mambas, boomslangs and other variations of killer serpents in an attempt to set a Guinness world record.
The record for most days spent confined to a (mental institution) space with this particular number of snakes is 113, set by Martin Smit in 2008. Jones is doing this for charity and -- as he tells Asylum -- because he loves the reptiles.
"I am hoping people will realize that we can live with these fantastic creatures without fearing and killing them. People come and see me here and are constantly amazed at how I can interact with these animals and, providing I give them respect, we can live together happily."
Keep reading to see what it means for Jones to live with these creatures.
"The snakes are not restrained in any way and have the full use of the entire room including my bed, shower and toilet," Jones explains.
They mainly hide out in cupboards or on the various makeshift branches or bushes that Jones has in their shared quarters. Once a week, someone brings captured mice and rats from a local park to offer as a sacrifice to the snakes.
This daredevil and Steve Irwin type is forced to move the snakes with a "hook stick" throughout the day, just so he can do things like sit at his desk or type on his laptop, his only method of contacting the outside world. (His wife and children are supportive of his endeavor, by the way, although they stay far away from his little apartment.)
Often, he says, the snakes drop on his pillow or shoulders as he's trying to work or sleep, but there have so far been no instances of Jones being bitten by one of these deadly terrors.
While some might question his chances of survival, Jones reminds us that it's all worth it, if people donate to his charity of choice. That would be St. Catherine's Hospice in his birthplace of Crawley, England.
"My mother-in-law spent her last few days there, and if I can help them to continue the great work they do, that will also be an achievement to me." Excuse us, we have something in our eye -- and it's not snake venom.
