Brian Barczyk, a herpetologist with a devoted online following in the millions, died on Sunday at his Michigan home. He was 54.
Barczyk died after a battle with Stage 4 pancreatic cancer, which he had told his followers was terminal in a video posted to his YouTube channel on Jan. 5. Visibly struggling to catch his breath, Barczyk said, “It’s been an amazing journey, one that has changed my life like you can’t believe.” The video was titled “This Is Goodbye.” He entered hospice care shortly after.
His death was announced on Monday by The Reptarium, a reptile zoo founded by Barczyk in Utica, Michigan. “More than the guiding light of our organization, Brian’s fervent passion for reptiles and wildlife, along with his steadfast dedication to education, has touched innumerable hearts and minds globally,” the zoo said in a statement.
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“Brian’s mission went far beyond a simple fascination with reptiles; he was a true advocate for sparking curiosity, respect, and understanding towards all facets of nature.”
A born and bred Michiganer who grew up tramping through the woods on the lookout for anything slithering, Barczyk dropped out of high school to pursue his love of the bass guitar before switching to his true passion, spending years working as a commercial snake breeder. “He created a name and a niche for himself that went far beyond our little mile-by-mile town,” a high school classmate told the Detroit Free Press.
Taking his passion for all creatures great and small online, Barczyk launched his first YouTube channel, SnakeBytesTV, more than 15 years ago. His infectious love for snakes, lizards, and other crawly critters jumped off the screen—even when delivered a nasty bite, he remained calm, kept smiling, and baby-talked to the animal.
Barczyk went on to appear on Discovery Channel’s 2016 show Venom Hunters, and eventually amassed a collection of more than 30,000 snakes “and other amazing animals,” he once boasted on Reddit. He also won the devotion of more than 15 million followers across social media, including 5.25 million YouTube subscribers.
He was diagnosed with Stage 2 pancreatic cancer last February, according to the Macomb Daily. He shared news of his diagnosis with his following the next month.
In his “Goodbye” video, Barczyk told his followers he was ready to go. “I pray that you guys will continue to watch the vlog, continue to follow along, because nothing is going to change,” he said. “Our message is the same. The only difference is that you’re not going to see me. But trust me, I’m ready, guys. It was a tough year. It was so painful.”
Barczyk is survived by his wife, Lori, with whom he founded The Reptarium in 2018. The facility is home to more than 3,000 animals, according to the Daily. Barczyk was also at work on a new interactive aquarium, LegaSea, at the time of his death. It is scheduled to open in March.
He is also survived by his children, Noah and Jade. Noah has been running Barczyk’s channel in recent days, and told NBC News in an email, “Nobody’s going to replace him, and even if you tried, you can’t. But we can be his conduit to keep his message alive. I promise our whole team will make you proud Dad.”
The Reptarium shared a simple posthumous message from its founder on its website: “Be kind to someone and I will see you in the next one.”
