Reptile & Amphibian Forums

XINHUA (China) 13 February 07 Snake charmer bitten by king cobra in Malaysia (Liu Dan )
Kuala Lumpur: A snake-charmer was bitten bya king cobra on his hand twice during a snake-charming show in Malaysia, local press reported Tuesday.
Mohd Fazizi Awang almost died as he went into respiratory shock after the incident took place Sunday evening in Pahang state.
The 23-year-old was then rushed to a local hospital, where he was treated with anti-venom vaccine, the New Straits Times (NST) reported.
Speaking from his hospital bed, Mohd Fazizi said he had not expected the snake to be so aggressive.
The snake charmer also admitted, last year, he was almost killed when a python refused to loosen its grip on him during a performance.
The latest incident came two months after Malaysian snake king Ali Khan Samsuddin died after he was bitten by a king cobra.
Snake charmer bitten by king cobra in Malaysia

NEW STRAITS TIMES (Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia) 14 February 07 Amendment to wildlife law: Watch the animals, but don’t play with them (Heidi Foo, Marilyn Gerard and M. Hamzah Jamaludin)
Kuala Lumpur: If the Wildlife Department gets its way, then licences will be needed for performances with snakes, and audiences will not be allowed to play with them.
The department hopes an amendment to the Wildlife Protection Act 1972 would be passed this year, mandating licences for animal shows and exhibitions.
"Currently, we only issue written permission to hold such shows in zoos, schools and public places.
"The purpose of the licence is to monitor animal shows and ensure they comply with the guidelines," said law and enforcement director Misliah Mohamad Basir.
She said that without proper guidelines, exhibitors and performers were endangering their own lives as well as that of the audience.
Current provisions of the Act allow a fine of not more than RM3,000 and up to three years jail.
"We will propose an increase in the penalties under the Act to curb fatalities and unpredictable accidents. Our main concern is the safety of the people. We discourage visitors from handling the animals.
"These animal shows are meant to educate people about the habitat and behaviour of these creatures. I do not understand why people are allowed to play with protected species.
"Animals also get stressed and owners must ensure they are kept in their proper habitat," she said.
The News Straits Times reported yesterday that snake-charmer Mohd Fazizi Awang was bitten twice by a King Cobra at Teruntum mini zoo, Kuantan, on Sunday.
The article also has a picture of a child playing with a young python.
While the reticulated python is not venomous like the King Cobra, it can have a nasty bite, said Misliah.
Sunday’s incident comes two months after Malaysian snake king Ali Khan Samsuddin died from a King Cobra bite.
The Kuantan Municipal Council said it had no plans to stop the controversial show at the zoo.
The council would continue to allow skilled people to perform with dangerous or pet animals, council secretary Zainuddin Idris said yesterday.
The snake charmers had the skills to handle the venomous reptiles and knew the risk they were taking.
"They perform on stage with several staff to make sure the public do not get too close," he said.
The most important thing for the organiser was to ensure the safety of those who watched the live performances, he added.
Mohd Fazizi, 23, is now recuperating in a normal ward at Tengku Ampuan Afzan Hospital.
Watch the animals, but don’t play with them