NEW STRAITS TIMES (Singapore) 20 October 10 Deadly roommates no sweat for her

Ipoh, Malaysia: Most people shudder when they see cobras but 31-year-old Noor Azhariah Adnan will be living with 100 of the venomous snakes in an attempt to create a world record next year.

As part of her preparation for the feat, she will spend 12 hours a day with the snakes for 20 days from Monday.

She is doing it at the snake exhibition at Darul Ridzuan Museum, where she sits in a 3.6-by-2m glass room filled with 100 snakes.

Visitors can see her training between 10am and 10pm until Nov 6.

"I have all my meals in here and I will only go out for short breaks," she said at the museum yesterday.

"I do not fear the snakes because I love them. I think they are the most delicate and sensitive creatures," she said.

Noor Azhariah, who has been handling snakes for 15 years, said her interest to become a snake performer began when she was 16.

"I attended a reptile exhibition which showcased a woman handling venomous snakes, and even kissing a cobra on the head.

"I was impressed and wanted to do the same," she said.

Noor Azhariah said she had the chance to train with Malaysia's Raja Ular (snake king), Ali Khan Shamsudin, who died in 2006 after being bitten by a king cobra.

Now, she is being trained by Ali Khan's brother-in-law, Hussine Dastagir, 50, who is also a performer with more than 30 years experience as a snake handler.

He is also the organiser of the exhibition at the museum which showcases more than 30 different species of snakes, including the king cobra and reticulated python.

The entrance fee is RM4 (S$1.70) per person and it's free for children under 5 and the disabled.
Deadly roommates no sweat for her

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