SNAKE WHISPERER DEAD
Abu Zarin Hussin dead – Firefighter famed for kissing snake dies after king cobra bite
Abu Zarin Hussin was 33 when he was fatally bitten during a snake-catching mission in Bentong
A MALAYSIAN firefighter dubbed "the Snake Whisperer" has died after he was bitten by a giant cobra he was hunting.
Abu Zarin Hussin, who has been bitten by his own pet King Cobras eight times, was 33 when he passed away in hospital.
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Hussin headed the King Cobra Squad of his local fire department, teaching his colleagues how to capture the reptiles without harming them.
His luck finally ran out when he was called out to a snake catching operation in Bentong, where he was fatally biten.
Hussin rose to fame when he was pictured kissing a King Cobra, one of several 14ft snakes he claimed to play football and read bedtime stories with.
It emerged last year that Hussin had ended up in a coma twice over snake bites, yet had no intention of ever giving up his perilous pets.
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The 32-year-old, from Kelantan, Malaysia, followed in the footsteps of his father and became a specialist snake handler in the fire service.
But despite the love for his work, Abu accepts that snake handling is not for the fainthearted.
He said: "The pain from a snake bite is very severe to the point that you can’t even describe it.
"The worst bite would have to be the eighth time. I did not realise that the snake was bleeding from its head.
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"I tried touching the wound on its head and it bit me right away. It took ten seconds for the snake to let me go.
"On the way to the hospital, bubbles started coming out of my mouth and a few moments later I was unconscious.
"The doctor confirmed that I was not going to make it because the venom had spread to my heart.
"After being in a coma for two days I woke up. I am considered lucky to still be alive."
As well as educating others, Abu makes sure to follow all of the safety precautions before allowing anyone to take photos or "pet" his venomous snakes: King, Chip and Cik Din.
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He said: “I take my cobras to participate in training courses for taming snakes at the Fire Department Training Centre. I also lead awareness briefings on the dangers of snakes to the public."
Last year the media reported that Abu had married his snakes, and although he denies these claims, his bond with his pets is a special one.
He added: "No human can get married to a snake. That story is definitely false and I think the story got altered and twisted to suit people of different beliefs and culture. I’m only interested in humans when it comes to marriage."
Although his snakes have put his life on the line, the fireman has never thought of giving them up or felt afraid and instead is more motivated to learn and teach his colleagues and others how to catch and tame snakes.
He said: "Snakes are wild species and we need time to get used to them and understand their characteristics to be able to tame them.
"I don’t care if people call me crazy or stupid, I know what I’m doing. It is for the benefit of the public and the Fire Department."
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