Anita Finch

Anita Finch (June 13, 1966- December 15, 1999) was a snake collector who lived in Los Angeles, California, United States.

Anita Finch was born in Beverly Hills, Los Angeles, California, on June 13, 1966. Anita's Childhood was an uneasy one. As she had been interested in reptiles from the beginning, she was picked on and bullied for loving animals by many of the kids she grew up with. Years later, she worked on a degree in psychology. While working on her degree, she discovered the brutal practice of Rattlesnake Roundups. Across the United States each year thousands of rattlesnakes are captured and killed in the roundups, one of the largest events takes place in Sweetwater, Texas. After being opened to the brutality of rattlesnake roundups, Anita turned her back on psychology and began expanding her snake collection, she had a collection of rattlesnakes, king snakes, and other species. Her collection was complete after purchasing an African Gaboon Viper. In late 1999, Anita was working on assesments and getting close to an exam to work at the Los Angeles Zoo. On December 15, 1999, the captive Gaboon Viper escaped it's terrarium when Anita was cleaning the enclosure. Anita had tried to get the snake back in it's enclosure, but the viper struck Anita with two bites on her hand. Anita then had begun enduring the hemotoxic symptoms of of the bite, such as bleeding externally and internally. Anita then wrote the name of the hospital she should be taken to the hospital in the hope someone would find her in time, she then collapsed on the couch and died from the viper bite. On December 17, 1999, Police Officers were called to her trailer park home to investigate why she hadn't been seen in 3 days. The Police Officers had entered her trailer park home and were in horror of the state her corpse was in. Lieutenant David Smith of the LA County Coroner had investigated the cause of death and realized it was a snake-bite. Anita Finch was then cremated and then her ashes were scattered.