Handler's Bios

Kathy Maguire
In the Spring of 1992, I was hired by my friend and Reptile Gardens personnel manager, Virginia Garrigan, to work as a temporary, part-time show person at the Bewitched Village Trained Animal Show. This job was supposed to last until school got out and the regular kids would be available. During that time period I started helping the head animal trainer, Jim Campbell, train a few chickens to play baseball. As time passed, I realized I was the one being trained!

Jim worked things out - I would take over as head trainer when he retired. I've trained chickens, cows, goats, rabbits, ducks and my personal favorite - pigs! It's pretty common at Reptile Gardens to be trained to work in different areas. I have worked at the miniature horse barn giving rides. I have also helped in the gift shop and worked a summer in the Green Parrot Cafe. I even had the title of Maitre d'! Pretty fancy title for someone who cleans the ice-cream machine and mops floors!

Somewhere along the line I also started working in the Reptile Department with Don Middaugh and Ken Earnest, helping with the collection and performing Snake Shows.

Once, after returning from a vacation, I discovered I had been put in charge of the then-new Big Bug Display. (Beware of taking days off!) Aside from bugs I am now in charge of most of the legged and scaly creatures in our collection. I am also Curator of Amphibians. I've been working on expanding our breeding programs in those areas.

And yes, I still train and care for a few chickens. Who would have thought this is what I would have grown up to do?

Have a Question about Bugs or Amphibians? Email Kathy!
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Travis LaBrake
"I'll admit I originally had no innate interest in reptiles--I had no particular fear, either. But, my interest has grown over the years... Now, I think reptiles are fascinating!"

When Travis first came to Reptile Gardens in the Spring of 2000, he was looking for his first job. At the time there were two positions open--one in maintenance and one in the café. Choosing maintenance, Travis's first summer at Reptile Gardens consisted of cleaning bathrooms, sweeping and mopping floors, cleaning glass, taking out garbage, and sweeping sidewalks. His first summer was an absolute blast and he hoped to make it back the next summer and work in the very same capacity.

Much to his surprise, the second season after he turned 18, he was offered the opportunity to return to Reptile Gardens as a reptile showman trainee, which meant he trained for the Snake Show and Alligator Wrestling Program. "For some time I wondered if this was a promotion or demotion!"

Terry Phillip, Curator of Reptiles, was responsible for training Travis. "Training for the snake show took the longest, but was painless--no problem!", says Travis. The hardest part for Travis was getting over his fear of talking in front of crowds. "I remember being so flustered during my first full-length snake show!"

Training for the alligator wrestling program was quick but...not quite painless. "On the last day of training, I received my first bite while learning how to get a hungry alligator to jump for a piece of chicken!" Travis exclaims. "It happened so quickly that I had no idea what happened at first, but once I saw the fingers on my right hand, I knew. Honestly, Terry was more surprised than I was." After several stitches and Terry's assistance in talking to Travis's parents about the "accident", Travis continued performing reptile programs that summer.

Travis returned to Reptile Gardens in the following fall to do some behind the scenes work. From that point on, he was gradually trained to work with reptiles and continued performing programs. Travis went from Reptile Keeper/showman to Assistant Curator of Reptiles.

Presently, he assists in managing the world's most complete collection of reptiles, training and supervising show staff (and the occasional show, which is still quite a joy), and managing a reptile hands-on display.

"Overall, I feel this has been a once in a lifetime rewarding experience!"

Want to ask Travis a question? Email Him!
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Ken Earnest
Ken Earnest has began working with Reptile Gardens in 1991. Throughout his life, he has been responsible for the care of a large and varied collection of reptiles from Tuatara (Sphenodon Punctatus) to Gharial (Gavialis Gangeticus) for over fifty years, and has a particular interest in captive propagation of crocodilians.

He has had successful reproduction of the following forms of crocodilians:
  • Nile Crocodile (Crocodylus niloticus) - first captive breeding in the western hemisphere
  • Cuban Crocodile (Crocodylus rhombifer) - first captive breeding in the United States
  • Marsh Crocodile (Crocodylus palustris) - probably first captive breeding outside of India
  • Australian Saltwater Crocodile (Crocodylus porosus) - probably the first captive breeding in the western hemishpere
  • Siamese Crocodile (Crocodylus siamensis)
  • American Crocodile (Crocodylus acutus)
  • Morlet's crocodile (Crocodylus moreleti)
  • Dwarf Crocodile (Osteolaemus tetraspis)
  • Brown Caiman (Caiman c. fuscus)
  • Yacare Caiman (Caiman c. yacare)
  • American Alligator (Alligator mississippiensis)
Ken has established longevity records in excess of thirty years with Crocodylus niloticus and Crocodylus rhombifer.


Terry Phillip
Terry has been interested in reptiles since the 3rd grade.  He spent the majority of his youth running through the fields and streams of his home in Colorado chasing snakes of all types.

As a child, when he wasn't out exploring for snakes, he spent his time reading reptile books.  He would check out every reptile book his local library had, over and over again.  He spent so much time enjoying his beloved books, the librarians often knew him by name!

As a young man, Terry managed a pet store in Colorado for 5 years, and eventually developed one of the largest collections of reptiles in the state at the time.

In 1997, Terry moved to Rapid City, South Dakota, to work as an Alligator Wrestler at Reptile Gardens, quickly becoming a permanent fixture of the reptile department.

After his predecessor and original mentor, Don Middaugh, moved away to manage a zoo collection in Maryland, Terry took on the responsibilities as Curator of Reptiles at Reptile Gardens, and continued his work under the guidance of Head Curator Ken Earnest, a world renowned reptile keeper.

Terry says, "Having learned from two of the worlds most experienced dangerous reptile curators, my interests have grown in that direction.  I have a primary interest in Venomous Snakes and Crocodilians.  However, all areas of herpetology interest me."

Have a Question about Snakes? Email Terry!
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