[vc_row][vc_column][vc_column_text]Handsome wildlife expert and lover of all Earth’s creatures, from the adorable to the ferocious, meet Dr. Evan Antin. We caught up with the busy vet at the Conejo Valley Veterinary Hospital where you can find him on most days. [/vc_column_text][vc_column_text]Spending the afternoon with Dr. Antin, or Evan as he so charmingly asks to be called, we quickly become aware that here is a man completely happy and at ease with animals, seeming to speak a language familiar only to them. It felt as though we were left out of Animal Language 101 watching the silent exchange between man and beast. Behold the 13-foot-long Albino Burmese Python who wraps itself around his neck and is just too happy to snuggle. A giant Monitor Water Lizard with claws an inch long and a deadly bite sits quietly while the doctor conducts a much needed manicure. He is patient and understanding, giving each animal his full attention. The creatures seem to sense he truly cares for their wellbeing; they are content to let him hold them, pick them up, turn them over, completely confident in his abilities. A wondrous thing to watch, we were all a bit in awe of this kindhearted man who not only talks to, but also listens to, the animals. [/vc_column_text][vc_column_text]Dr. Evan Antin has a voice and that voice is being heard around the world. With his 600K Instagram fans he is fast gaining recognition as a wildlife advocate and protector. He posts mainly fun loving and positive photos of his patients but occasionally, photos of the mistreatment of the creatures he cares so much for also show up on his feed. Raising awareness and educating people about animal welfare comes naturally to him. Dr. Antin spends much of his free time traveling to remote parts of the globe volunteering his services to aid wildlife in distress. In these distant areas, skilled doctors are few and far between. Dr. Antin is able to diagnosis and treat these creatures who might otherwise suffer from lack of attention or access to the advanced medical techniques he is so well versed in.
People Magazine has just named him the “Sexiest Vet Alive”. We at BASIC just like to call him Superman![/vc_column_text][/vc_column][/vc_row][vc_row][vc_column][vc_row_inner][vc_column_inner][vc_single_image image=”8479″ img_size=”large”][/vc_column_inner][/vc_row_inner][vc_column_text]
Jeans Rag & Bone, Sweater Trendhaus
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Jeans All Saints, Jewelry Ivan Bitton Style House
[/vc_column_text][/vc_column][/vc_row][vc_row][vc_column][vc_column_text]BASIC: Are your parents doctors or vets? Where does your love of animals come from?
Neither of my parents are vets or doctors but both love animals, especially my mom. She was always super supportive of my passion for animals and wildlife and loved all the exotic critters I had as pets growing up.
BASIC: Communicating with the animals; is this a gift you were born with?
I think my abilities to work with animals, or “communicate” with them in a sense, is both innate as well as gained with experience. My mom always said I had a way with animals, able to handle them comfortably, making it a stress-free experience for them during our interactions.
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Jeans All Saints, Jewelry Ivan Bitton Style House
[/vc_column_text][/vc_column][/vc_row][vc_row][vc_column][vc_column_text]BASIC: Your love of travel has taken you around the world. Where are you headed next?
Next stop is the Philippines! I LOVE getting down and dirty in the jungle and hope to find lots of amazing (and dangerous) animals.
BASIC: Hollywood will surely be calling soon. Is TV something you would like to do?
Yes, I have a serious interest in television and I think it would give me a great opportunity to share and educate others on the incredible things my profession has to offer.
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[/vc_column_text][/vc_column][/vc_row][vc_row][vc_column][vc_column_text]BASIC: Speaking of Hollywood, fashion is an important part of that world. Who is your favorite designer or brand name for menswear?
Most of my wardrobe these days is Zara, Mango, Forever21, and some Target.
BASIC: What is your daily workout?
My workouts are focused on weight training and bodybuilding. I have a split routine that focuses on 1-3 major muscle groups at a time and varies week to week. Nothing special, just trying to lift heavy and perfect my form. My training goals revolve around size, symmetry and separation.
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Left- Jeans Rag & Bone, Sweater Trendhaus, Right- Shirt Calvin Klein, Pants Trendhaus
[/vc_column_text][/vc_column][/vc_row][vc_row][vc_column][vc_column_text]BASIC: The one item you always have with you?
The one item I always have with me is my trusty snake hook of course! It’s always in my car and if I leave town, going anywhere where there are snakes, it’s coming with me.
BASIC: What are the most critical issues facing wildlife right now?
Wildlife has many obstacles without the intervention of man. Being a wild animal is not rainbows and butterflies as many people like to believe, it’s survival of the fittest, eat or be eaten. Nature is a real bitch and then when our fellow man supplies obstacles like habitat encroachment, excessive littering and pollution, deforestation, poaching and unsustainable fishing, being a wild animal is that much more of a challenge. Our mother earth is entering the sixth extinction and this time it’s not natural planetary changes, it’s mankind.
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[/vc_column_text][/vc_column][/vc_row][vc_row][vc_column][vc_column_text]BASIC: What can our readers do to help?
There are countless means to help our world’s wildlife. One simple way to start is by being an intelligent consumer. Much of the plight of wildlife is simply due to corporations doing whatever means they see fit to provide their consumer with the products consumers buy, even if that’s at the expense of wildlife. I’m not anti-corporation but if you have no problem purchasing food products produced with palm oil (which is in just about every processed food) then huge corporations have no problem destroying tropical forests to farm oil palms such as the rain forests in Borneo where populations of orangutans are dwindling rapidly. Another easy way to help our planet and its inhabitants is to make an effort to use less plastics. Single-use plastics are progressively destroying this planet and its wildlife and as you probably know, plastic does not biodegrade readily. So bring bags when shopping and don’t use plastic silverware or straws. There is truly a desperate need for change. And one can be more proactive and donate time or money to wildlife foundations and wildlife rescues or even support sustainable eco-tourism when traveling. I don’t mean to be a downer but the grim reality is that if we don’t make necessary changes then we can continue to kiss goodbye many of our favorite wild animals forever at an exponential rate.
Order Issue 4 HERE
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Photographer Mariusz Jeglinski @mariuszjeglinski
Creative Direction Viktorija Pashuta @viktorija_pashuta
Art Direction Roberta Hall @robertadeehall
Stylist Jesse J @jessejcollections
Production Lisa Wayne
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