Snake Man
St. Louis, Missouri
For over 40 years Charlie Hoessle was a beloved reptile man at the St. Louis Zoo, even hosting the Zoo's TV show in the early years of public television. The Zoo named its herpetarium (reptile house) after Charlie, and in 2005 unveiled in front of it a life-size statue of him, draped in a boa constrictor. Sculptor Stanley Bleifeld wisely did not give the snake a protruding tongue, which might poke out a child's eye or get snapped off by a careless tourist. The statue is designed to be a photo-op, and the snake's head has been rubbed shiny for good luck.