LITTLE KING OF THE COBRAS 4
What is it about snakes that make little boys go Lady Gaga? Like many people, I’m genetically deprived of an affinity for reptiles; I’m adverse to snakes. Particularly it’s the holding a pulsing sausage that’s alive and moving part that makes me cringe, as is the natural human reaction to slithering things, I suppose (there really is no other way for me to explain it without setting you up for innuendos, so do with that what you will). Young boys however, seem to look at snakes and go bananas, at least that’s what Ip says. Ip is a snake handler at the Ao Nang King Cobra Show, which Internet rumors say may be one of the best snake shows in Thailand. “All little boys are the same,” Ip explained to me. “At first they are scared, but as soon as they hold one, they don’t want to give it back.” In Levi Schmitt’s case, the only way they could get him to give the snake back was to take the next logical step and employ him. Fair enough. Well actually, Levi’s curiosity inspired his parents to ask if Levi could come watch the snake handlers work and maybe learn a thing or two. He stayed all day the first day, and then the day after that, and the day after, and…okay, it was time to give him a staff shirt. Now he helps guide tours for the French visitors. Levi’s family lives in Thailand, but is from France where snake shows are non-existent. Seeing an opportunity for Levi to also learn Thai and English, Levi’s parents send him to the farm everyday with a notebook to jot down at least five new words a day in addition to learning about snakes. With 13 different species at the farm amongst other reptiles and insects, there’s plenty to keep Levi busy.
Over 200 species of snakes are native to Thailand, and in Krabi province alone, there are over 45 different types of poisonous snakes lurking about. The King Cobra is the most common snake in Krabi while the Black Cobra is the most common throughout Thailand. A typical show will consist of one of each of these in addition to a Python. None of the snakes are defanged and the handlers will even “milk” a cobra for the audience. With sheer finesse the handlers will get dangerously close to a multitude of venomous snakes. A chomp from a black cobra will paralyze a human in about 40 minutes, but Krabi Hospital is only 20 minutes away, so what could possibly go wrong? It’s a pretty impressive performance, and rest assured these handlers are well trained with years of experience. Additionally, a large volume of facts and safety information is given. You will certainly learn a lot about snakes, as there’s a large volume of facts and safety information presented. And if you dare, you can touch them, supervised of course. Levi has actually been bitten by one of the glass snakes at the farm before. Being that the snake is not venomous and Levi is cooler than a polar bear, he carried on with himself, puzzled as to why his mother almost had a heart attack when he relayed the story later. Should Levi ever be bitten by a venomous snake, there is a medicinal drink at the farm that will grant a victim a few more minutes to get to the hospital, so everybody just calm down.
and all snake-loving people for this magical trait they possess. “It takes time,” Dtom said to me. He’s the King of Cobra handlers at the show. “Touch them everyday and you become less and less scared. You start to appreciate them and they don’t bother you as much.” Believe me Dtom, I am trying. By some off chance one will creep into my house and I don’t want to lose control of my bowel movements in fear, so I am really trying. Snakes are known for being houseguests when you live in the jungle, and it is typical for the Ao Nang King Cobra Show to receive two to three calls per week for snake removal. Most villages and cities in Thailand have some sort of Snake Police at their disposal, as this happens a lot, so if you see a snake of any kind, call them and the snake police will come to the rescue. Levi has yet to graduate to the cobra kissing act and the pesky snake removal posse. The staff has grown attached to Levi and are planning to train him to handle the cobras one day. For now, he’s living the dream in a terrarium larger than his snake-loving heart, charming tourists with his charming grin and honing is snakehandling craft. Well played, little dude. Well played.
I pet a few snakes at the show and even allowed them to wrap a python around my leg to demonstrate its strength, and it was quite unpleasant I must say. Meanwhile Levi was running about with snakes twirled around his entire body and I just watched in cowardly astonishment. Why didn’t I get wired that way? I just wish I respected them more, because for now I mainly fear them, and that’s completely different than respect. I admire Levi
The Ao Nang King Cobra Show and Snake Farm is open daily. There are no set show times; shows commence whenever there are visitors. Tickets include a tour of the farm and other creatures inhabiting the grounds. For an additional fee, there is also a monkey show. If you see a snake where it shouldn’t be, please call 075637671 and they will be happy to assist you. Please do not attempt to kill it unless it is a life-threatening situation, as attempting to do so may cause you more harm than just leaving it be until the professionals come.
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