Swamp Brothers back in July on Animal Planet
MANILA, Philippines – Robbie and Stephen Keszey will tell you that running their family business really bites – the Keszeys risk their lives on a daily basis working with wild and dangerous animals deep in the swamps of Florida.
Robbie is a veteran of the ’80s metal scene who is passionate about all things scaly, and Stephen is a former New York City bartender who is more comfortable hailing a cab than handling a snake. The unlikely pair returns to Animal Planet this July 2, getting down and dirty with the reptiles in brand new episodes of SWAMP BROTHERS to air every Monday thereafter at 9:00 p.m., with encores at 3 p.m. Monday, Wednesday at 7:00 p.m. and Saturday at 10:00 p.m.
Robbie and Stephen run Glades Herp Farms, Florida’s largest reptile sanctuary and exotic reptile dealership. Their farm also houses Florida’s International Teaching Zoo, which is full of rare species from around the globe and brings in a constant stream of new and different animals each month. In each episode, the brothers put themselves on the line to protect the most unusual of creatures – from venomous snakes to aggressive crocodilians.
The SWAMP BROTHERS didn’t set out to work with slithering, sharp-toothed animals. As a child, older brother Robbie loved two things: music and wildlife. After high school, he moved to Los Angeles to play bass in a rock band, living a life of excess on the Sunset Strip.
Eventually realizing his true passion was for wildlife and reptiles, Robbie moved to Florida and Glades Herp Farm, bringing with him his rock ‘n’ roll attitude and a penchant for living on the edge. Today, Robbie is a skilled expert in all herpetofauna – especially crocodilians and venomous snakes, where he can continue to teach people to conserve and respect animals – and his goal is to one day take what he’s learned on the farm and open his very own teaching zoo, where he can continue to teach people to conserve and respect animals.
Robbie’s younger brother Stephen, on the other hand, is a pure city boy at heart who headed straight to the Big Apple after graduating from university. During his 14 years in New York City, Stephen held his dream job as a bartender, where drinking, telling jokes and flirting with girls were all in a day’s work. When Robbie asked Stephen to help him expand the business, Stephen initially was not thrilled to leave the big city life, especially to spend all his time around dangerous animals. Overly cautious by nature, Stephen concedes that where reptiles are concerned, he always bows to the expertise of his brother.
From pythons to exotic gators, the brothers make it their business to track these beasts down, capture them and return them to a safe environment – without losing life or limb in the process. Follow the brand new exploits and misadventures of the Keszeys in the following episodes of SWAMP BROTHERS:
For Love and Boar
While on the way to Miami to purchase a Siamese Croc, Robbie and Stephen get a call from JP— there are wild hogs on the farm. Before they destroy the gator nests, Robbie enlists Al Roberts to catch and kill the boars.
Once Bitten
The Keszey brothers need to move an injured gator into a safer home. To make a few extra bucks and make ends meet, the boys help out at a local reptile farm. And when JP makes a mistake, the results are life threatening. With JP out of commission, a new volunteer comes to Glades Herp Farm.
Weekend Warriors
Al Roberts takes two insurance brokers on the adventure of a lifetime. These “city boys” need to survive a standoff with an angry wild boar, a minimal means campout in the woods, and an early morning hunt for an American alligator. With crossbows, harpoons, tomahawks and teeth, one mistake could make this extreme weekend a deadly one for the clients and that’s never good for business in Florida.
Special Delivery
Robbie and Stephen receive a snake call from an unusual location— they have to rescue some fierce fighters from a fiercer rattler. Then, Stephen gets a hot lead on a male Siamese Croc to breed with their new female. Later, the Keszey brothers cut a deal for four new exotic crocodilians.
The Good, the Bad, and the Bloody
When shots are fired on the farm and the gate is found unlocked, the Glades Herp Farm staff rushes into the gator marsh in search of intruders. The next morning, an animal welfare check brings a new discovery. Later, Robbie risks life and limb to ensure the safety of his prize breeding gator.
When it Rains, it Pours
The Keszeys head to Weston, Florida to borrow a male American Croc to mate with their female. But every deal is not without a bit of extra labour and the Keszey brothers struggle to catch up this big male for the long ride home. Back in Busnell, Robbie gets word of a West Nile Virus outbreak on a neighboring farm and an infection on Glades could be disastrous. Then, a routine nuisance call sends the Keszey brothers on a venomous snake hunt.
If a Tree Falls in the Swamp…
During a monster storm, a fallen tree crushes a fence, releasing Glades Herp Farm’s largest gator into a nearby pond. In his attempt to capture the star breeding gator, Stephen finds himself sinking fast. Later, a bad break-up leaves a local love scorn lady in a house full of snakes. Stephen and JP are called on to help catch the unwelcomed goodbye presents.
Last Resort
After hatching a plan to breed exotic crocs to bring in more money to the farm, the Keszey brothers are devastated to find their latest crop of eggs ruined. Robbie must decide whether or not to make a deal that could mean the end of the farm. It’s a dangerous game of catch and move before the sun goes down on the Swamp Brothers.
