Our community

In this moving account, we meet Phil Thompson of Thompson Cold Blooded. Phil explains how his love for reptiles has gifted him peace and purpose.

What started as a hobby became his life's focus, and he extends gratitude to the community he now considers family.

An Adler Romer Production for RRK.

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SCRIPT

Just sitting here and doing this you just drift away and get lost in it and nothing else matters at that moment you just get calm and relax.

There's something about, that I've always loved about the underdog and something that's so feared hated and villainised. Loving it, earning its trust and knowing how to take care of it.

I guess kind of not having something that everybody else has and they, there's a sense of pride and respect that comes with being able to harness your own fear and the power that these guys are capable of and having them thrive in your care. I just, I love it.

I don't know, these guys have made me more disciplined. At the end of the day when you have no control over your job and things get frustrating, this at and the other I can come home and Just sitting here. I'm doing this. You just drift away and get lost in it and nothing else matters at that moment, you just get calm and relax. They relax me all the time whether it's doing this or just sitting and staring into an enclosure at them.

The other thing that they've done for me is brought me this community of like-minded people that I get to enjoy people all across the country that just check and see how you're doing and genuinely care and give a damn about what you're talking about because you can only talk about it so much at work before everybody's like "I don't care anymore."

I think not just the super dwarfs, but all species in general really gives me, I like the knowledge of the animals being from different areas and the different needs that they have whether it be temperature, humidity or just their general care that learning, that has to be done for them to thrive.

That drives me to always make things better for them and it just, it gives me such a satisfaction to see them happy and trusting me, to do whatever I want with them and they're okay with it. It's just the ultimate good feeling.

If there is one thing I could accomplish in the industry it would be to bring more people into the community and that do not know the love of a snake, not the love of a snake but the love for a snake and just to… I love seeing a person for the first time that holds this and goes "it's not what I thought it was" that come in scared to death and leave with a new curiosity and sometimes a new passion.

I would love to be a person that brings more people to the table.