What Happened at AnimalCon USA? 

You might be a smaller youtuber for now but you are fantastic, and your love for this hobby shines through every video. I applaud you for your day to day profession as well.

Was nice meeting you there! And that footage of us walking in slow motion paired with that music is just...perfect haha

You changed that boy's life, and you are a GREAT RU-vidr and tarantula advocate.

Smuggling tarantulas into the resort...lol. love it

That looked like a very cool experience,I I didn't realize your channel was that small maybe once people see that your one that pronounces the names correctly your channel will flourish in no time

Alex!!! What a WONDERFUL video!!! I’m so glad you got to attend and participate. Don’t ever feel like you don’t DESERVE it… you’re SOOOO important to the community and the hobby and spread amazing and important information. I don’t know how you kept your cool when that girl wanted your tarantula on her face…. I don’t think I would have been able to be as nice as you about that 😂 but seriously, watching that little boy hold her got me so teary-eyed 🤍 wonderful job, wonderful video and thank you for all of your contributions 🤍

I never actually heard of those two influencers either. And not to bad mouth, but I was nervous about both of them using one hand to handle them as I usually keep both to make a hand bridge in case a tarantula decides to go exploring. My first T I handled was G. porteri, and they're absolute darlings. The little guy must've been so uncomfortable with all the noise and ruckus as well. Anyway Alex, looks like you had a real fun time!

So glad that you got over your covid. Been 9 months since for me, and I still have after effects. Keep on making great content, we all love it!

I was so scared that the woman was going to drop that beautiful spider, this was one of the best videos I’ve seen. You are my favorite Tarantula keepers, I’m sure that you’re every kids favorite teacher I’m sure you would have been mine🥰

I like the idea of AnimalCon, hope to see something like that one day in europe. :)

They seem cool but I'm kinda mad they didn't ask before trying to put her on their face! Not cool... On another note, it's so sweet to see you be so humble - your channel is amazing!!!! It is 1million followers worthy. I hope you made loads of friends there and it boosted your confidence! :)

That's great you guys had a day to chill and kinda get oriented. There were just a handful of people I truly wanted to meet- largely the tarantula folks (you, Kat, Dark Den, and Richard) and Adam W. I had previously met Dav, and Brian B just seems like too exuberant of a personality to me to handle lol. I honestly wanted to go, but I had a lot going on around then and it kinda came down to that or NRBE. I went with the latter. At least since it featured youtubers, I knew there would be lots of video coverage! I was also not quite sure what it would be like, I thought there wouldn't be any animals or vendors, and while I wanted to meet some people, I'm also not comfortable being around just a lot of people.

Love it! "Now that's not recommended"

I see tarantulas with urticating hairs near people's eyes sitting on their faces, I stay

I don't know either of the 2 influencers, but I wish they had went about the handling the same way that young man did ...with legitimate interest for the animal and caution for someone else's pet, instead of a photo/video op for their social media. For someone who is suppose to know a lot about animals (like I said, I know nothing about either of those peoples' channels or background or anything), I honestly do not like how careless he was with a fragile animal that belongs to someone else-- "Put in on your face!" You handled yourself well, and I know the point is to educate, but I personally would not have been as nice and understanding. I'm happy she didn't get haired (right after he talked about not wanting the urticating hairs in your eyes, nose, etc) because I don't wish that discomfort on anyone, but also because if it had kicked I'm sure the spider would have been thrown off of her face. Horrible example. To any/everyone out there: please stop putting tarantulas on and around your face! On a positive note, however, I hope to come across the young man at the end's future tarantula channel one day!

I wish I had a teacher as cool as you when I was at school

Omg I can’t believe your sitting next to tarantula kat im literally fan girling over this

Awesome video! I can't wait for the next AnimalCon!

You may have a smaller subscriber base than some others, but the experience you provide to the hobby is invaluable. I always keep up with your videos, as I feel like you provide some of the best information on RU-vid. Please don’t fixate too much on sub counts! You have tens of thousands of us who love to tune in and learn from your lived experience, more than most people will ever reach! And that’s because your experience is irreplaceable. So please continue for as long as you find joy in it, you’re my favorite tarantulatuber!!

This was great buddy. Thank you

I will NEVER agree to stressing out a tarantula for ANY social media bullshit.

So are you just in open competition with Richard now, that beard is coming in really nicely.

Hello great video information Alex

I just want you to know that I think you’re awesome ❣️ You are one of the first RU-vidrs I started watching in 2020. And I’m always looking out for a new video from you. I remember too the first time I held a tarantula back in 2004. It was a rosehair. A Valentine’s Day gift. I named her Lover. I now have 28 T’s!!

Man! Looked awesome 👌🏼 Never heard of the 2 "influencers" but, not sure they're the right kind of influence... 🤐

Thank you for everything!

Great video looks like you had a great time.

I'm a fan from Philippines more power to your chanel ❤️🕷️. Love your contents❗

Great vlog! Glad you tested negative in time to attend! Greetins from germany :)

Mr. Tarantula kat also took the Paxlovid stuff and he said it was so nasty but it got him over covid fast too! It was sooooooo nice to meet you. Wish we all had more time to spend with each other. It felt like chaos, just so much going on at the same time and wanting to be everywhere at all times lol You did great!!

I know you're a small channel bit you put out quality content that's why I continue to watch you!! Also i had no idea who those two animal influencer were 😅

W9w it looks amazing! You should seethe looks on the workers faces in the hotel when the BTS is on here in the uk! All the big traders bring in all of there stock and it makes them cringe. I felt super uncomfortable seeing that women hold your lovely spider, she looked like she hated every second of it. And 5o put it on her face, that's just wild to me the risk she put the spider and herself in. Shame its all for their views :( but you did the right thing putting her back in the tank and diverting the situation. And that little boys face was priceless! Made a young hobbiest of him I'm sure!

I ENJOYED WATCHING THE VIDEO :) THANK YOU FOR SHARING :) THANK YOU FROM ISRAEL :)

Great video Alex, although smaller than the others, I feel you're more humble and likeable, I know you were glad to have the footage with real tarzan, but personally I think it was a bit disrespectful to you to do what he did without consulting you first. You're very right, they don't understand why we advise not to do it, it's all for the picture where they're concerned.

Looks like a great time, I hope I can go next year!

That was amazing I am still debating if I will get a tarantula for my 60th birthday on the 13th or not lol

Happy Labor day!!

I do hope you informed her of how dangerous that was cause if she thought she was ok then and tried it with another and something went wrong and god forbid those hairs got in her eyes or she inhaled them she could've had some serious problems

His handling of the tarantula and putting it on her face after describing Urticating hairs really gave me anxiety. You handled it well.

It's too bad Dave's little beasties couldn't make it, but he is a UK dude. Did you see Brock (2Can TV) with Rhia the Toucan? He has 4. Ohhh Ants Canada was there? Awesome.

24:15 sums up RU-vid, some people want to educate and have 10,000 followers, some people just want attention and have a couple million

at your table where you sit how big are those terrariums behind you

I adore you greatly as a RU-vidr, and you make me aspire to one day get into the professional side myself- but I'd recommend in the future not letting people handle your Ts... especially at a convention. Always remember, stupid people exist. While that kid was behaved and cared, some of the others handling in this video... were not like that. They used your gorgeous spider for some fast clout, ignoring the dangers of what that could entail for you, them, and your spider. Whether they knew or not the issue with that isn't even important here, though. It's that they did it, and ignored you saying it's not recommended. And letting people who are ignorant about tarantulas handle them will almost always either end up in A. a blinded or bitten person, and a probable lawsuit B. A dropped, injured, and maybe dead T and C both. Keep in mind those incidents will make you look bad, and our community as a whole, too. Everyone in this scenario is lucky it went well. This is the timeframe in which you're learning how to navigate these professional waters though, so I hope you take that experience and your understandable worries and grow with them. I'll definitely keep watching your lovely channel, but definitely keep in mind many of your fellow T community are uncomfortable with what we saw... just as you were and might still be. I was a bit unsure seeing the thumbnail how this video would go- but I, for one, appreciate you taking the time to explain your discomfort, and the reality of doing that rather than using the thumbnail as a grab and then never addressing it. You seem to have a very kind, polite, and wholesome demeanor, one that I adore seeing in fellow hobbyists,. And the way you get excited to discuss Ts is how I am when discussing LOL.. ...How many of us true hobbyists are! You have a lot of potential and worth in this community, just don't let bigger influencers put you in uncomfortable and dangerous scenarios for views, because they know you're new and uncertain still. Learn from this and continue growing. Glad you enjoyed your trip. I look forward to future videos, as always!❤

good lord I can't believe she put that on her face that's so dangerous! and it's not safe for the person or the tarantula, I would've told the person no and not risked that just for a photo no matter how much experience you have.

Your animalcon tshirt is so amazing!

You met Kelly Fornez? Did you touch his hair? 🤣😂🤣😂

But you do still have a RU-vid channel, you still collect tranchulas

hi

You did brilliant.👍, not sure if I'd hold it together if someone held my B.hamorii like that ,she clearly had the strop on..she is an idiot. all for likes 🤷‍♀️. You must go next year..you won't be as nervous...its important to have knowledgeable people in the hobby coz there's alot of bad advice out there..

you do good work but please don't let people put a tarantula on their face!!!! not even for photos it could be extremely dangerous if any of those hairs got in her eyes or mouth and lungs you really should be more careful and actually tell people that before letting someone who has no clue handle that baby, god forbid that tarantula got scared and bit her face....

Sigh...every one of these conventions has someone putting a T on their face. You say you don't encourage it, yet here you are actually doing it (and using it for clickbait). It is the epitome of an irresponsible tarantula owner. The fear of lawsuits alone should be enough to not do something so foolish, not to mention the danger to the animal. Letting a strange child walk up and hold a very large tarantula that is stressed and actively kicking hairs? Completely irresponsible and grossly negligent. You can see that, can't you? I own many tarantulas, all OW species including 12 Pokies and a few H. macs, S. calceatum. I've been keeping T's since the beauty bark days, never touched any of them. Guess I can't hang with the cool kids.

Irresponsible