In the late 1960's as a child, Raymond Hoser pioneered a new concept of reptile show.
He called it the reptile party!
When he went to parties at other peope's homes, he'd bring along the best part of his reptile collection to show the others.
Unlike other people who simply did a show and tell type of show, Raymond Hoser was unusual in that he let people hold the animals.
Fast foreward 40 years, and Raymond Hoser was doing Reptile Parties on a commercial scale.
He had a staff of ten and was doing dozens of reptile shows and reptile parties every week.
His problem was that he was too successful.
The government-owned zoo in Melbourne, Victoria and other wildlife displayers decided to get the government wildlife department to shut Hoser down.
On 17 August 2011, Raymond Hoser and his family copped a highly illegal armed raid from police and wildife officers that ran for nine long hours.
Hoser, his wife and kids were handcuffed naked in their home, while removal trucks came and loaded his business into them.
Overnight, the most successful wildlife conservation and education business on the planet was shut down at gunpoint.
Hoser took the government to court and after five long years, won every case and every appeal by the government side.
In the wake of all this, reptile parties have now become the most popular form of reptile show on the planet.
The reptile party idea has spread to South Africa, the USA, UK and Europe.
Reptile education his his new highs and moved into the mainstream.
Meanwhile Raymond Hoser leads the reptile show and reptile party business in Australia because he owns the registered trademarks and everyone wants to have "The Snakeman" at their next party or event.
Reptile parties nowadays have frogs, turtles, lizards and lots of snakes.
And in case I never made it clear, these kids and adults parties always let people get hands-on to hold the animals.
