A man in Penang has become an online sensation after dozens shared photos of him splashing about in a river with his two beloved pet pythons measuring seven and five meters long.
Abe Awe, 36, whose real name is Mohd Redzuan Abdullah Zawawi, was labeled Malaysia’s “Tarzan” in online comments and his slithering pets were described as “cute.” The longer of the two is named Miss Kiah.
“I caught her when she was a little baby snake,” the former policeman told Coconuts KL today. He has been caring for the python for over 16 years and the reptile now weighs 240 kilograms.
Abe is licensed by The Department of Wildlife and National Parks Peninsular Malaysia (Perhilitan) to keep wildlife as pets. He adopted the second python last year but has yet to give it a name. That one weighs around 50 kilograms.
Abe began posting videos of himself with his reptile family on YouTube several months ago and also teaches his viewers how to react to snakes.
He said that snakes are lovable creatures and are not as dangerous as many would have thought them to be. Pythons are also not venomous.
“The snakes may look dangerous, but they’re actually tame, gentle creatures,” the reptile enthusiast from the town of Balik Pulau in Penang said. “I just love them. It’s not so different from having a cat.”
Their diet would be different from the ones that felines are used to, though. He feeds his two slithery friends with live chickens every day.
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