Mark O'Shea
Encyclopedia
Mark O'Shea is a herpetologist, photographer, author, lecturer, and television personality.
Originally from Wolverhampton
, Mark O'Shea moved to Shropshire
in 2001. Mark O'Shea is known internationally as the presenter of the Animal Planet
/Discovery Channel
series O'Shea's Big Adventure (OBA, known as O'Shea's Dangerous Reptiles on Channel 4
in the UK
), which chronicles his many field excursions to find reptile
s around the world. The films were divided into four series, The Americas
, Australasia
& Pacific, South
& Southeast Asia
and Africa
& South America
. The first two series each contained 13 half-hour films, the latter two each comprised four one-hour films. They were filmed between 1999 and 2003 and have been aired worldwide.
O'Shea made two films prior to OBA: Giant Snake in Venezuela
in 1997 and Black Mamba in South Africa
in 1998. Since OBA, he has filmed two episodes of the series Safari Park, charting the day to day activities of West Midland Safari Park
and the Ongava Game Reserve, filming in the UK and Namibia
, and has presented or appeared on other programs, most recently reporting on the Dangerous Wild Animals Act for the BBC strand Inside Out
, filming in the UK and Holland.
In 1993, O'Shea was bitten by a Canebrake Rattlesnake (Crotalus horridus atricaudatus) and almost died. He has been on the receiving end of several other snakebites, spider bites and scorpion stings.
He held the position of Curator of Reptiles at the West Midland Safari Park from 1987 until 2002 when he became Consultant Curator of Reptiles.
He was Chairman of the International Herpetological Society (IHS) from 1983–86 and its President from 2003-06. In July 2010 the IHS awarded O'Shea with a Life Membership and Fellowship for his "contributions to the Society and herpetology in general".
Since 1980, O’Shea has conducted herpetological fieldwork in over 30 countries on six continents but he has special interest in the Australo-Papuan region. He has worked in Papua New Guinea
since 1986 when he first visited the country as a member of the scientific directing staff of Operation Raleigh. He continued fieldwork in the country as a member of the Oxford University Nuffield Department of Clinical Medicine snakebite research team throughout the 1990s, and now researches there under the auspices of a fellowship from the Australian Venom Research Unit (AVRU), based in the Department of Pharmacology at the University of Melbourne
.
O’Shea is also involved in the Victor Valley College
Tropical Research Initiative, initiated and led by Hinrich Kaiser. A primary aim of the project is to conduct the first herpetological survey of Timor-Leste and to provide education and research opportunities for local researchers in their native environment. An additional goal of this work is to educate the citizens of this country, Asia's newest, in issues related to conservation and sustainability
.
O'Shea has written several books, including A Guide to the Snakes of Papua New Guinea (1996), Dorling Kindersley
's Handbook to Reptiles and Amphibians (2001, with Tim Halliday of The Open University), Venomous Snakes of the World (2005), and Boas and Pythons of the World (2007). He has also contributed chapters to books on subjects ranging from rainforest ecology to snakebite, and written numerous popular and scientific articles.
In 2006 O'Shea designed a set of six postage stamps featuring The Dangerous Snakes of Papua New Guinea, for Post PNG. The launch of these stamps coincided with the snakebite workshops and fieldwork O’Shea and his colleagues from AVRU were conducting in that country.
O’Shea is a Fellow of the Royal Geographical Society
and The Explorers Club
of New York. In November 2000 he received the Millennium Award for Services to Exploration (Zoology) from the British Chapter of The Explorers Club. The other recipients were Brian Jones
(Aerospace), F. Story Musgrave
(Artists), Michael Wood
(History), Sylvia Earle
(Marine Sciences), Sir Chris Bonnington (Mountaineering), Buzz Aldrin
(Outer Space), and Sir Ranulph Fiennes
(Navigation).
In September 2002 O’Shea received an honorary Doctor of Science
degree from the University of Wolverhampton
, for “services to herpetology”.
O'Shea is a patron of the National Association for Bikers with a Disability
. and the Small Woods Association.
O'Shea is represented by David Foster Management.
Originally from Wolverhampton
Wolverhampton
Wolverhampton is a city and metropolitan borough in the West Midlands, England. For Eurostat purposes Walsall and Wolverhampton is a NUTS 3 region and is one of five boroughs or unitary districts that comprise the "West Midlands" NUTS 2 region...
, Mark O'Shea moved to Shropshire
Shropshire
Shropshire is a county in the West Midlands region of England. For Eurostat purposes, the county is a NUTS 3 region and is one of four counties or unitary districts that comprise the "Shropshire and Staffordshire" NUTS 2 region. It borders Wales to the west...
in 2001. Mark O'Shea is known internationally as the presenter of the Animal Planet
Animal Planet
Animal Planet is an American cable tv specialty channel that launched on October 1, 1996. It is distributed by Discovery Communications. A high-definition simulcast of the channel launched on September 1, 2007.-History:...
/Discovery Channel
Discovery Channel
Discovery Channel is an American satellite and cable specialty channel , founded by John Hendricks and distributed by Discovery Communications. It is a publicly traded company run by CEO David Zaslav...
series O'Shea's Big Adventure (OBA, known as O'Shea's Dangerous Reptiles on Channel 4
Channel 4
Channel 4 is a British public-service television broadcaster which began working on 2 November 1982. Although largely commercially self-funded, it is ultimately publicly owned; originally a subsidiary of the Independent Broadcasting Authority , the station is now owned and operated by the Channel...
in the UK
United Kingdom
The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern IrelandIn the United Kingdom and Dependencies, other languages have been officially recognised as legitimate autochthonous languages under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages...
), which chronicles his many field excursions to find reptile
Reptile
Reptiles are members of a class of air-breathing, ectothermic vertebrates which are characterized by laying shelled eggs , and having skin covered in scales and/or scutes. They are tetrapods, either having four limbs or being descended from four-limbed ancestors...
s around the world. The films were divided into four series, The Americas
Americas
The Americas, or America , are lands in the Western hemisphere, also known as the New World. In English, the plural form the Americas is often used to refer to the landmasses of North America and South America with their associated islands and regions, while the singular form America is primarily...
, Australasia
Australasia
Australasia is a region of Oceania comprising Australia, New Zealand, the island of New Guinea, and neighbouring islands in the Pacific Ocean. The term was coined by Charles de Brosses in Histoire des navigations aux terres australes...
& Pacific, South
South Asia
South Asia, also known as Southern Asia, is the southern region of the Asian continent, which comprises the sub-Himalayan countries and, for some authorities , also includes the adjoining countries to the west and the east...
& Southeast Asia
Southeast Asia
Southeast Asia, South-East Asia, South East Asia or Southeastern Asia is a subregion of Asia, consisting of the countries that are geographically south of China, east of India, west of New Guinea and north of Australia. The region lies on the intersection of geological plates, with heavy seismic...
and Africa
Africa
Africa is the world's second largest and second most populous continent, after Asia. At about 30.2 million km² including adjacent islands, it covers 6% of the Earth's total surface area and 20.4% of the total land area...
& South America
South America
South America is a continent situated in the Western Hemisphere, mostly in the Southern Hemisphere, with a relatively small portion in the Northern Hemisphere. The continent is also considered a subcontinent of the Americas. It is bordered on the west by the Pacific Ocean and on the north and east...
. The first two series each contained 13 half-hour films, the latter two each comprised four one-hour films. They were filmed between 1999 and 2003 and have been aired worldwide.
O'Shea made two films prior to OBA: Giant Snake in Venezuela
Venezuela
Venezuela , officially called the Bolivarian Republic of Venezuela , is a tropical country on the northern coast of South America. It borders Colombia to the west, Guyana to the east, and Brazil to the south...
in 1997 and Black Mamba in South Africa
South Africa
The Republic of South Africa is a country in southern Africa. Located at the southern tip of Africa, it is divided into nine provinces, with of coastline on the Atlantic and Indian oceans...
in 1998. Since OBA, he has filmed two episodes of the series Safari Park, charting the day to day activities of West Midland Safari Park
West Midland Safari Park
West Midland Safari and Leisure Park is a safari park located in Bewdley in Worcestershire, England. It was opened in 1973.The park holds over 165 species of exotic animals. The safari contains about 600 animals from around 30 different species from Europe, Africa, Asia and Australasia...
and the Ongava Game Reserve, filming in the UK and Namibia
Namibia
Namibia, officially the Republic of Namibia , is a country in southern Africa whose western border is the Atlantic Ocean. It shares land borders with Angola and Zambia to the north, Botswana to the east and South Africa to the south and east. It gained independence from South Africa on 21 March...
, and has presented or appeared on other programs, most recently reporting on the Dangerous Wild Animals Act for the BBC strand Inside Out
Inside Out (BBC TV series)
Inside Out is the brand name for a number of regional television programmes in England broadcast on BBC One. Each series, made by a BBC region, focuses on stories from the local area...
, filming in the UK and Holland.
In 1993, O'Shea was bitten by a Canebrake Rattlesnake (Crotalus horridus atricaudatus) and almost died. He has been on the receiving end of several other snakebites, spider bites and scorpion stings.
He held the position of Curator of Reptiles at the West Midland Safari Park from 1987 until 2002 when he became Consultant Curator of Reptiles.
He was Chairman of the International Herpetological Society (IHS) from 1983–86 and its President from 2003-06. In July 2010 the IHS awarded O'Shea with a Life Membership and Fellowship for his "contributions to the Society and herpetology in general".
Since 1980, O’Shea has conducted herpetological fieldwork in over 30 countries on six continents but he has special interest in the Australo-Papuan region. He has worked in Papua New Guinea
Papua New Guinea
Papua New Guinea , officially the Independent State of Papua New Guinea, is a country in Oceania, occupying the eastern half of the island of New Guinea and numerous offshore islands...
since 1986 when he first visited the country as a member of the scientific directing staff of Operation Raleigh. He continued fieldwork in the country as a member of the Oxford University Nuffield Department of Clinical Medicine snakebite research team throughout the 1990s, and now researches there under the auspices of a fellowship from the Australian Venom Research Unit (AVRU), based in the Department of Pharmacology at the University of Melbourne
University of Melbourne
The University of Melbourne is a public university located in Melbourne, Victoria. Founded in 1853, it is the second oldest university in Australia and the oldest in Victoria...
.
O’Shea is also involved in the Victor Valley College
Victor Valley College
Victor Valley College is a community college in the southeast corner of Victorville, California. The Victor Valley Community College District includes Victorville, Hesperia, Apple Valley, Phelan, and Adelanto.-History:...
Tropical Research Initiative, initiated and led by Hinrich Kaiser. A primary aim of the project is to conduct the first herpetological survey of Timor-Leste and to provide education and research opportunities for local researchers in their native environment. An additional goal of this work is to educate the citizens of this country, Asia's newest, in issues related to conservation and sustainability
Sustainability
Sustainability is the capacity to endure. For humans, sustainability is the long-term maintenance of well being, which has environmental, economic, and social dimensions, and encompasses the concept of union, an interdependent relationship and mutual responsible position with all living and non...
.
O'Shea has written several books, including A Guide to the Snakes of Papua New Guinea (1996), Dorling Kindersley
Dorling Kindersley
Dorling Kindersley is an international publishing company specializing in illustrated reference books for adults and children in 51 languages. It is currently part of the Penguin Group....
's Handbook to Reptiles and Amphibians (2001, with Tim Halliday of The Open University), Venomous Snakes of the World (2005), and Boas and Pythons of the World (2007). He has also contributed chapters to books on subjects ranging from rainforest ecology to snakebite, and written numerous popular and scientific articles.
In 2006 O'Shea designed a set of six postage stamps featuring The Dangerous Snakes of Papua New Guinea, for Post PNG. The launch of these stamps coincided with the snakebite workshops and fieldwork O’Shea and his colleagues from AVRU were conducting in that country.
O’Shea is a Fellow of the Royal Geographical Society
Royal Geographical Society
The Royal Geographical Society is a British learned society founded in 1830 for the advancement of geographical sciences...
and The Explorers Club
The Explorers Club
The Explorers Club is a professional society dedicated to scientific exploration of Earth, its oceans, and outer space. Founded in 1904 in New York City, it currently has 30 branches world wide...
of New York. In November 2000 he received the Millennium Award for Services to Exploration (Zoology) from the British Chapter of The Explorers Club. The other recipients were Brian Jones
Brian Jones
Lewis Brian Hopkins Jones , known as Brian Jones, was an English musician and a founding member of the Rolling Stones....
(Aerospace), F. Story Musgrave
Story Musgrave
Franklin Story Musgrave is an American physician and a retired NASA astronaut. He is currently a public speaker and consultant to both Disney's Imagineering group and Applied Minds in California.-Personal life:...
(Artists), Michael Wood
Michael Wood
Michael David Wood is an English historian and broadcaster. He has presented numerous television documentary series, has made over 80 documentary films, most notably, Great Railway Journeys , Art of the Western World, Legacy: A Search for the Origins of Civilization, In the Footsteps of Alexander...
(History), Sylvia Earle
Sylvia Earle
Sylvia Alice Earle is an American oceanographer. She was chief scientist for the U.S. National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration from 1990–1992. She is a National Geographic explorer-in-residence, sometimes called "Her Deepness" or "The Sturgeon General".-Education and career:Earle received a...
(Marine Sciences), Sir Chris Bonnington (Mountaineering), Buzz Aldrin
Buzz Aldrin
Buzz Aldrin is an American mechanical engineer, retired United States Air Force pilot and astronaut who was the Lunar Module pilot on Apollo 11, the first manned lunar landing in history...
(Outer Space), and Sir Ranulph Fiennes
Ranulph Fiennes
Sir Ranulph Twisleton-Wykeham-Fiennes, 3rd Baronet, OBE , better known as Ranulph Fiennes, is a British adventurer and holder of several endurance records. He is also a prolific writer. Fiennes served in the British Army for eight years including a period on counter-insurgency service while...
(Navigation).
In September 2002 O’Shea received an honorary Doctor of Science
Doctor of Science
Doctor of Science , usually abbreviated Sc.D., D.Sc., S.D. or Dr.Sc., is an academic research degree awarded in a number of countries throughout the world. In some countries Doctor of Science is the name used for the standard doctorate in the sciences, elsewhere the Sc.D...
degree from the University of Wolverhampton
University of Wolverhampton
The University of Wolverhampton is a British university located on four campuses across the West Midlands and Shropshire. The city campus is located in Wolverhampton city centre with a second campus at Compton Park, Wolverhampton; a third in Walsall and a fourth in Telford...
, for “services to herpetology”.
O'Shea is a patron of the National Association for Bikers with a Disability
National Association for Bikers with a Disability
The National Association for Bikers with a Disability or NABD is a Registered Charity in the United Kingdom and in Scotland. The NABD gives technical advice and financial grants to help to adapt motorcycles, sidecars and trikes for use by disabled riders. It also gives advice on training and...
. and the Small Woods Association.
O'Shea is represented by David Foster Management.