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O'Sheas Casino Hosts "Venom in Vegas" Jan. 17-26

Animal Adventurer Donald Schultz to Spend 10 Days in Glass Box With 100 Deadly Snakes

On Jan. 17 world-renowned animal adventurer and venom expert Donald Schultz will enter a clear glass box located outside O'Sheas Casino where he will spend the next ten days and nights in the company of 100 deadly snakes.

Sharing just a 16' x 20' enclosure, Schultz will eat, sleep and drink among a wide variety of snakes including cobras, pythons and rattlesnakes, and do it all within the view of spectators and tourists. Schultz will start with 50 snakes and have five new snakes introduced each day until the count reaches 100. He will not know who his new roommates will be until opening each double-bagged snake as it is delivered. Schultz's quarters will include a bed and tiny frosted-glass restroom, and will be outfitted with several big-brother style cameras.

The stunt will be filmed as part of a two-hour special edition of Animal Planet's new series WILD RECON, slated to air Feb. 9, 8 p.m. ET/PT. WILD RECON premiered earlier this month and chronicles Schultz's adventures as he attempts to get his hands on some of the most deadly animals on the planet. During his ten-day stay, Schultz will work with the reptiles, extracting venom that will later be shipped around the world and used for venom research. In addition to milking the venomous snakes, he'll be conducting cutting-edge tests to measure the potency of venom, the depth of fang penetration and the strike range of the world's fastest snakes. Some of Las Vegas' own entertainers and brave media will enter the box to be a part of the action, outfitted in a specially designed "armored" suit.

O'Sheas Casino will host "Venom in Vegas" in the alley that sits between O'Sheas Casino and Margaritaville, directly across from Caesars Palace. Filming will be 24 hours a day and a schedule of educational presentations will be released later this week.

MORE ON ANIMAL PLANET/PRODUCTION:

Since there's no guarantee that even a venom veteran like Schultz will not be bitten, Animal Planet has readied a team of world-class experts should something go wrong with Schultz or any of the snakes. He'll be working with Dr. Jeremy Sabatini, a veterinarian with extensive reptile experience; Dr. Sean Bush, envenomation expert and professor of emergency medicine at Loma Linda University; and Dr. Bruce Young, associate professor of biology at Washburn University.

Animal Planet is partnering with the University of Arizona's Venom Immunochemistry, Pharmacology and Emergency Response Institute (VIPER) on the VENOM IN VEGAS event. On AnimalPlanet.com consumers will find links to venom information and be able to donate to VIPER's research initiatives. After the event, certain snakes and venom will be donated to VIPER, whose affiliated scientists will give them good homes while developing new ways to diagnose and treat snakebites and scorpion stings.