THE STAR (Petaling Jaya, Malaysia) 28 October 06 17 years with a venomous pal (Christina Koh)

Seventy-year-old Awaluddin Man has had a deadly friend for the past 17 years that would give most people the shivers when they visit him at Kampung Teluk Gedung in Pangkor.

He enjoys introducing his friend – Mina – to visitors.

Mina is a 2m-long venomous king cobra.

Awaluddin, popularly known as Pak Luddin, is the island’s snake catcher. He can be seen near his home fondly stroking Mina before draping her gently over his shoulders.

The snake, which can kill a man in two minutes, still retains its deadly fangs and it takes a brave tourist to get close to Pak Luddin and his tame serpentine pal.

“I’ve handled many snakes but Mina is my long-time friend. I have let her go (into the wild) but she keeps coming back.

“I first found her when she was just a young snake,” he said at his home recently.

Recently, firemen presented him with another king cobra which they removed from a house two months ago.

“This new one is still fierce so I will keep it until it is tamer and then release it,” said Awaluddin who has been catching snakes since he was 12.

He related that when he was a young boy, he had a dream that he would never die of snake bites as long as he took care of the snakes.

“I don’t know whether the dream is true or not,” he said, adding that he has been bitten about 100 times in the course of his snake-catching career.

Awaluddin, who is a fisherman, said two of his eight children had the skill to catch snakes but feared being bitten.

“I’m not afraid. If I die, it is Allah’s will,” he said.
17 years with a venomous pal

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