January 17, 2024, 11:37 AM
Brian Barczyk, the popular reptile enthusiast with millions of fans on social media and founder of the reptile zoo The Reptarium, has died from pancreatic cancer.
He was 54.
He was first diagnosed on Feb. 27, 2023.
Prior to his passing, he spent 10 days in hospice.
Barczyk shot to fame following Discovery Channel's "Venom Hunters" in 2016.
His YouTube channel has more than 5.2 million subscribers.
He has the world’s third-largest snake collection, with over 30,000 snakes.
Barczyk founded both the Reptarium Reptile Zoo and the LegaSea Aquarium, which is set to open in the near future.
Both establishments are in Michigan.
The zoo announced Barczyk’s death on Jan. 15 on social media.
The statement read: "We've lost an exceptional individual — a visionary, mentor, and friend. For those of us who had the privilege of working alongside him, Brian's absence leaves an immeasurable void."
He is survived by his wife of 35 years, Lori, and their two children, Noah and Jade.
Farewell vlog
Barczyk shared an emotional goodbye message on YouTube just before his passing.
Footage in the video from April 2023 showed Barczyk candidly saying he made the recording in case "things didn't turn out very well" and he wanted to remind people to remember the "old Brian".
It was three months after his diagnosis and he had started chemotherapy.
He added how he hoped the April footage would continue to “inspire millions of people who love animals”.
The farewell video also contained footage of him shot in November 2023, when his physical experience had undergone changes.
In footage from January 2024, his final vlog to fans, he said with tears streaming down his face: "I love life so much now."
He also told his audience that he would not be there to see the opening of the LegaSea Aquarium.
“I really appreciate you guys. Again you guys changed my life without you I wouldn’t have lived the life I live,” Barczyk added in the video.
"You know the only way I was probably going to beat this cancer was this way,” Barczyk also said.
“It wasn’t because I gave up. I didn't give up. I was ready. It was such a battle... I’m telling you, I’m a tough person, and I don’t know how people do it. It’s so hard.”
There were also montages of him with his several animals throughout the past seven years.
Top photos via Venom Hunters & Brian Barczyk Facebook
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