Bahrain: A ‘SNAKE whisperer’ has been kept unusually busy this month by families calling him for help after serpents managed to crawl into homes, apparently to escape the scorching summer heat outside, it has emerged.
Ali Al Qatari has already caught 11 snakes this month which he said was the highest number he has caught in a month.
However, he urged people not to kill the snakes because they were non-poisonous.
“These snakes are harmless and we should not kill them,” he told the GDN yesterday.
“People who come across snakes should call me. I will catch them free of charge.”
Temperatures have been unusually high in Bahrain this year, he said, adding that it was worse in the desert.
“These are non-poisonous, Bahraini snakes which crawl from the deserts into cooler areas during summer,” he said.
“Usually, I catch one or two a month in people’s homes. During summer the figure may go up to four or five.
“But this year, in this month alone, I have caught 11 snakes until now, which is the highest number I have ever caught in a month in my life.”
Mr Al Qatari caught two snakes on Wednesday from two houses in Duraz and Bani Jamra.
“People in these villages have heard about me and they call me when they see these snakes in their houses,” he said.
“I catch them with my bare hands. I am not scared of them; I love them.
“They come out from the desert to escape the heat as they cannot survive beyond 35-37C.
“They can suffocate in humidity. That is why they enter homes, where there is air conditioning, and snuggle into cots, corners of sofas or under the beds.
“They don’t harm anybody; these small Bahraini snakes are not poisonous.
“The poison is in the minds of people who think these snakes are poisonous.”
The 29-year-old who works as a security guard in a private company currently has four snakes at his Duraz home.
“I took a liking for snakes from the age of 11 when I started working with my father in the garden.
“I found these small snakes cute. They were harmless when I held them and then on I started studying about them.
“All my knowledge about these snakes is from the Internet.
“Soon people saw that I was not scared of snakes so they started calling me when they saw one and I caught them with my bare hands.
“I want to show people that these snakes are harmless and we should not kill them.
“I take the snakes I catch to the desert and release them.”
Mr Al Qatari said he hasn’t come across any big or poisonous snakes in Bahrain.
“There are not many big or poisonous snakes in Bahrain that I have come across; there may be some in the desert though.
“But I find even those snakes harmless, as I have had chance to play with pythons and king cobras, when I was in Saudi Arabia, Egypt and India.
“I have given snake shows at Bahrain’s animal show (Mara’ai) where people expressed shock, fear and surprise when I let these snakes crawl all over me.
“I tell people snakes are harmless and just like we defend ourselves when attacked they too bite when they are threatened.”
Mr Al Qatari said he wanted to set up a place where he can look after the snakes he catches.
“I would love to have a place in my home to keep the snakes that I catch, take care of them and breed them, but the law doesn’t permit that.”
Anyone who needs help in catching snakes can contact Mr Al Qatari on 33761732.
raji@gdn.com.bh
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