Page 15 - Robeson Living Spring 2022

added another reference to describe his residence of the last 20 manager where he bought the snakes and other animals for the
years — home. exhibits and took care of all operations.
Drafted to Vietnam in 1968, Brewer’s next adventure would
“We love it here. This is home,” Brewer said, speaking for both come as a soldier who survived both the Tet Offensive and
he and his wife, Sherrie. When asked how long the two have jungle patrols. He was sent out by his commander more than
been together, he joked, “Since back in our days at New Ha- anyone in his unit “not because the other guys were scared of
nover High School; I got tired of her chasing me, so we just got Charlie,” he said, denoting the military nickname for the Viet
married.” The fun-loving pair have been married for 54 years. Cong “but because they were afraid of snakes.”
Now in their mid-70s, the Brewers moved to Pembroke in their
mid-50s and entered a new era of life. Rightfully so, it seems, as two of Brewer’s stories involve the
sighting of a Burmese python and the killing of a hooded cobra.
“This is beautiful place,” he said of Robeson County. “The “I hated to do it,” he said of the cobra, “but I didn’t want any-
Lord put me right where he wanted me.” one else to get bit by the thing, you know.”

The couple lives within miles of their daughter, Angie Brooks, Speaking of bites, surprisingly and luckily, Brewer has never
her husband and kids — their grandchildren, Peyton, Macy been bitten by a poisonous snake. “Not once,” he said. “I have
and Brendan, ages 17, 15 and 13, respectively — who all also been bitten hundreds of times by non-venomous ones though,”
relocated to Pembroke and encouraged their Robeson County he shared, noting he knows the difference. “And as a matter of
move. The Brewers also have a son, Jason Brewer, his wife fact, in some of my lectures, I have let a snake bite me to show
and another grandson, Caleb, age 9, still living in Wilmington. people they were not going to die.” While he may handle what
The humble family man has always been one to live life to the he calls the “harmless” ones more carefreely to demonstrate
fullest, enjoying his loved ones and surroundings. Unlike so the lack of danger, he has a healthy respect for the ones who
many today who keep a screen in their eyesight or a speaker can harm.
in earshot, Brewer is one to stop and smell the roses and take
notice of nature. It’s of no matter that his penchant is not actu- “I have had friends die from snakebite,” he said.
ally for botanicals but rather wild beasts.
A prolific presenter at many New Hanover civic, educational
And I do mean wild. and business seminars in the past, Brewer continues to give
safety lectures when asked on snake identification and what to
And how did a young kid growing up in the 1940s-60s become do and not do when it comes to snakes and snakebite.
such an animal aficionado?
One thing included in his speeches are why snakes are a neces-
“That’s easy,” he shared. “A zoo moved in next door.” sary part of the ecosystem. It’s par for the course for Brewer
to relocate the snakes he finds when he’s called to pick up one
The Tote ‘Em In Zoo,” a Wilmington icon for decades, opened out of a neighbor’s yard, attic or elsewhere. Often, he just spots
in 1952. The owners first employed Brewer, along with other the creatures on his own and decides to transplant them, say
neighborhood kids, as an extra hand at the zoo to do ground- under someone’s house, to keep them from getting hit by a
work and animal clean-up. By age 10, young Jerry, enthralled lawnmower or killed by the homeowner.
with the zoo animals and especially the snakes, quickly climbed
the ladder to the position of snake handler, knee-high boots and Of his undercover rescue efforts, one neighbor advised, “You
all. know, Jerry, I wouldn’t tell anyone about that.”

Taught how to correctly hold snakes first using dead ones to All kidding aside, Brewer said he most often catches a snake
learn “the feel of them” and next serpents put in the freezer and takes it off a million miles away.
“long enough to make them cold, slow-moving and lethar-
gic,” Brewer learned from zoo owner George Tregembo the Whew.
ins-and-outs and even venom milking of snake handling. By
age 16, teen Jerry was performing snake shows in a pit full of His earlier days may have seen him snake hunting to sell the
venomous snakes —like cottonmouths moccasins, rattlesnakes bounty to other zoos and animal parks for exhibits, but such
and copperheads — and nonvenomous snakes — rat, king and antics ceased some time ago as Brewer matured to know that
garter snakes, to name only a few — every Sunday, six times “it’s not worth the money to go out and rape the land; it’s best
a day. to leave nature be,” he said.

That early career led to his next zoo stint right out of high “The zoo may need one snake for an exhibit; they don’t need
school with a Myrtle Beach Zoo, Serpent City, as the facility 100.”

Robeson Living ~ Spring 2022 Page 15