Snake exhibitions have been a feature at La Perouse since the early 1900s.
"Professor" Fred Fox was the first of the famous snake men and set a tradition for showmanship which has continued over the years. Fox was also determined to gain recognition for his snake bite 'antidote'. Demonstrating his antidote in Calcutta in 1914 Fox allowed a deadly krait to bite him several times. However, one bite was inadvertently left untreated and he died within hours.
The Cann family name is synonymous with the snake men of La Perouse. George Cann (1897-1965) reigned at the Loop from the 1920s until the 1960s. The tradition had been carried on since his death in 1965 by his sons George and John, until John's last show on April 28, 2010.
Today, shows are still held each weekend by the Hawkesbury Herpetological Society.
