DONALD SCHULTZ: Interview

Donald Schultz, host of Animal Planet's upcoming WILD RECON, traveled around the globe during production of the action-packed series. After filming the 10-part series in nine locales, including Australia, Swaziland, Jordan, Sri Lanka, Costa Rica, South Africa, Tanzania, Mozambique, Belize and the Bahamas, Schultz takes a time-out to share some of his thoughts on wildlife and on his life!

ANIMAL PLANET: What age did your fascination with animals develop?
Donald Schultz: I cannot remember a time that I was not fascinated by animals, especially snakes. I caught my first snake with my dad when I was six years old and have been captivated by them since. I am glad that I didn't just focus on snakes but rather on all of nature as snakes are just a small piece of a much larger, much more beautiful puzzle.

ANIMAL PLANET: Do you have or have you ever had phobias of your own?
Donald Schultz: A few! One was (and still is) spiders because I had a scary encounter as a kid, and the other was falling between a ship and the dock in a harbor. Both were overcome, the spider thing more recently, and the harbor one in 1997, when I was commercial diving between tankers and the harbor at night.

ANIMAL PLANET: How did you get involved in this line of work?
Donald Schultz: It's a weird, convoluted route that seemed like it would never end in the way that it did. And if I had to try and replicate the whole process, I would likely end up diving for diamonds in the Congo, or becoming a game ranger in Kenya. The short story (and this is seriously condensed) is that I worked in the world-famous Fitzsimons Snake Park in Durban, South Africa as a teenager, becoming the youngest person to ever give venomous snake demonstrations at the age of 13. I also assisted with problem-animal removals, like mambas, cobras, puff adders, crocodile and giant monitors. I found myself at a crossroads after school, and after a weekend of diving in Cape Town, decided I wanted to become a commercial diver and trained with the police force and military.

After living in Johannesburg for a few years, I followed my older sister out to San Diego, and that's when my world swung back towards animals. I had been keeping snakes all this time, but when I found myself in California, a career in veterinary medicine slapped me in the face. I worked in a variety of hospitals, including the Veterinary Specialty Hospital in San Diego. I had since enrolled in college, determined to become a veterinarian. As I worked more and experienced more, I realized my calling was in the field. I've been doing these missions for about five years now, collaborating with researchers around the world on many projects.

ANIMAL PLANET: Were you always a risk taker?
Donald Schultz: I don't see it as risk taking. Mortality rates from car crashes and heart disease are way higher than snakebites and sky-diving accidents. I figure everything that we do is a stall tactic anyway; we all die at some point, and I just want to die living. But I do like to take calculated risks more than the average guy, that's for sure.

ANIMAL PLANET: What was your most dangerous encounter?
Donald Schultz: Well, there is the real world (living in Johannesburg or Los Angeles or wherever), and then there is the world that is surreal (when I travel and explore). I would have to say that the most concerned moment was an animal encounter when I had a dry bite by a Gaboon viper in the middle of equatorial Africa. We were hours away from anything, and I certainly would have died, but for some reason, no venom was injected by the snake.

ANIMAL PLANET: When were you most afraid on the job?
Donald Schultz: Anytime I skydive, I get very aware of everything mainly because there are so many variables to manage skydiving; then add to that filming, and things really become fun. We jumped in Sri Lanka in howling winds, and I had to land next to a pool of 150 wild saltwater crocodiles, thought to be the most aggressive croc species in the world. Add to that, on the sighting run, we saw a 16-footer basking near my drop zone. That definitely got the juices going!

ANIMAL PLANET: Have you ever been injured on a mission?
Donald Schultz: Yeah, unfortunately, I have. In my opinion, getting bitten by any animal is the ultimate failure as an animal handler and nothing to be proud of. I only talk about these experiences because I feel like I have learned from them. I had my hand mauled by an anteater in Central America, and til this day, I cannot feel the front part of my right thumb.

ANIMAL PLANET: What was your most memorable experience doing the show?
Donald Schultz: Every single skydive always feels insane! I love working with big predators too because it is outside my usual skill set. Every encounter — with a lion, cheetah, shark or occasional customs official — is stuck in my brain.

ANIMAL PLANET: What is your favorite species and why?
Donald Schultz: Overall, it is sea snakes, and I love them all and try and work with them as much as possible. If I had to choose a mammal, it would definitely be the slender loris (a small, nocturnal primate). I fell in love with the little guy!

ANIMAL PLANET: Is there one animal you refuse to approach?
Donald Schultz: Nope. Every one is truly awesome.

ANIMAL PLANET: What animal will people be surprised isn't as scary as they think?
Donald Schultz: Sharks, definitely — such beautiful creatures!

ANIMAL PLANET: Do you own any exotic creatures of your own?
Donald Schultz: A whole menagerie, from snakes to lizards, monitors to spiders and some weird fish and turtles! I've literally have more than 200 in my West Hollywood home.

ANIMAL PLANET: What was the coolest place you have ever traveled?
Donald Schultz: Recently, it would have been Sri Lanka. But I love Africa, especially the east coast. Also, I love the United States, and I have lived here for almost seven years and have traveled extensively throughout and really enjoy spending time in the desert areas. I haven't been to South America yet and know that would be absolutely thrilling.

ANIMAL PLANET: What does your family think of your job?
Donald Schultz: They think I am crazy. Go figure!