IT'S enough venom to kill more than 100 people - but now it will help save lives.
The Australian Reptile Park's coastal taipan Whiplash gave up 3.32 grams of venom in a recent milking - a yield the park said broke Whiplash's previous world record of 3.1 grams. The park's head of venom Zac Bower has the dangerous job of milking the three-metre taipan, one of the most venomous snakes in the world.
"We are the only facility in Australia that milks taipans for the production of anti-venom so Whiplash's record-breaking contribution will go towards saving someone's life," Mr Bower said.
After Mr Bower carefully handles the snake and extracts the venom, the park sends it to Melbourne where it is used to produce life-saving anti-venom.
The park's renowned venom program extracts venom from Australia's deadliest snakes including taipans, brown snakes, tiger snakes, death adders and black snakes. The park reopened on June 1 after it was forced to close for two months by COVID-19 restrictions.
IN THE NEWS:
