The Reptile Guy is all about EDUCATION! Mike provides a fun and interactive way for people of all ages to learn about the proper care of exotic animals and the threats that they face in both captive and wild environments.
In Memory of Chainsaw 2001-2011
In 2001 I went into a pet store in Vernon and bought an angry little caiman. She was so aggressive the people in the pet store were scared to catch her so I had to do it myself!
After a little work, she started to calm right down and began her life as an ambassador for her species. She was seen by tens of thousands of people helping to teach about responsible pet ownership, the environment and that not all reptiles are as bad as the ones seen on tv. These presentations were what funded a rescue for hundreds of reptiles, amphibians and arachnids so in a way, Chainsaw was helping save other reptiles!
In 2010 new laws in British Columbia made Chainsaw illegal to be seen by anyone but myself which ended her career. But, in 2011 because of the same new laws I had to shut down my rescue facility where she lived and she had to be relocated to the zoo where she would remain on a loan agreement in hopes that I would be able to get another facility going in the future and get her back where she belonged.
Unfortunately in November 2011, one of the zoo's female caiman did not take kindly to her and fatally injured her. She took her last breaths alone on the morning of November 9, 2011, One of the harder days in my life.
It all started when The Reptile Guy (Mike Hopcraft) received a green anole for his birthday when he was in grade 5. The collection was slow to start but once he graduated and lived on his own, Mike shared his home with dozens of rescued, surrendered and a few purchased reptiles. He had originally planned to breed and sell reptiles and eventually open up a pet store with a friend but that changed after he realized that there was more of a need for a rescue and education center than another breeder.
For almost 15 years now, Mike has been saving countless reptiles, amphibians and arachnids from a number of situations. Not all of them are rescues as many people come into circumstances in which they cannot prevent and have to give up their pets. Mike has taken in everything from small frogs and scorpions to caiman, alligators and even a lemur!
The Reptile Guy set up a 2000 square foot facility in Abbotsford to house over 100 rescued/surrendered reptiles including a 200lb python and 7 1/2 foot alligator and funded it with money raised by private tours of the facility as well as funds raised from educational presentations which originally began in 2000. Unfortunately, in 2011, he was forced to shut down his facility and part with most of his animals after new laws prohibiting the display and ownership of certain reptiles were put in to place in British Columbia.
Mike has not given up his goal to open up a large rescue and education center. His education program is back up and running and hopefully, in time, will be able to fund such a project!
By the year 2006 Mike had done presentations at almost every school in the south Okanagan and a few shows in the central and north Okanagan, countless birthday parties, daycares, after school programs, youth groups, scouts, cubs, girl guides, Peach Festival, The Lazy Lizard Children's Festival and the list goes on. Mike even got a call from a Women's group wanting him to do a show for one of their meetings! He had also been in almost every newspaper in the area, being on the news a few times and had one of our snakes filmed for a movie.
In Memory of Chainsaw. 2001-2011
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