James Ashe Antivenom Trust

I am Sanda Ashe. The James Ashe Antivenom Trust is a memorial to my late husband James Ashe, ‘Jimmy’ as he was known to his friends. Experienced in the care of reptiles, we had both looked after a wide variety of wild animals for many years. In particular, James was a ‘snake man,’ an internationally known and highly respected herpetologist.

During the 1960’s James ran the Snake Park for the National Museum in Nairobi and was consulted by doctors for identification of snakes involved when snakebite victims arrived for treatment.

James and I opened Bio-Ken Snake Farm outside Watamu on the Kenya coast of the Indian Ocean in 1980. During our many years at Bio-Ken, we specialised in the care and feeding of snakes, tortoises, monitor lizards and other invertebrates and amphibians. We conducted programs using live snakes and other reptiles to educate the public about their habits and how to avoid being bitten by them. We milked venomous snakes for medical research and the production of antivenom. We assisted the medical community in Kenya in the treatment of snakebite victims. When necessary, we conducted rescue work for any injured or out-of-place wild animals.

Shortly before James passed away in 2004 we were joined by Royjan Taylor, a keen snake lover and handler since childhood. Today, Royjan and I are co-directors of Bio-Ken Snake Farm. We carry on the work initiated by Jimmy and myself so many years ago to ensure the safety and protection of our wild reptilian populations. We continue to employ our limited resources in the education of local villagers, national health officers and international agencies about the risks of snakebite and its treatment.

The James Ashe Antivenom Trust was set up by Bio-Ken as our contribution to solving the education of the public in proper first aid, the training of front-line medical personnel treating a patient in Kenya and seeking to support international producers of antivenom.

We invite you to visit us at Bio-Ken if you happen to be in Kenya. Otherwise, please join us often here online to learn more about our work. We will tell you about snakes common to East Africa, give advice about how to feed and look after your pets, and share with you the often amazing details of our work with snakebite victims.

As a non-profit organization, the James Ashe Antivenom Trust depends largely on private contributions to support the purchase of antivenom. Antivenom saves lives and minimizes the severe tissue destruction that causes maiming and crippling as a result of snakebite left untreated. We work closely with local health authorities to make certain the antivenom is properly and safely administered by trained and qualified medical personnel.

Trustees of the James Ashe Antivenom Trust are:

Sanda Ashe; Co-director, Bio-Ken Snake Farm, Watamu, Kenya

Royjan Taylor; Co-director, Bio-Ken Snake Farm, Watamu, Kenya

David Warrell; Emeritus Professor of Tropical Medicine, University of Oxford, UK

Melinda Rees; Operations, Hemingway’s Resort, Watamu, Kenya

Shafiq Ebrahimjee; Chief Finance Officer, Turtle Bay Hotel, Watamu, Kenya; Director, Eco Tourism Society of Kenya