LANGKAWI: The Raja Ular Bomba Kedah title given to Noorizun Kechik, 38, for his skills in handling snakes, including the non-venomous ones, do not make him arrogant, and he is ever ready to impart his knowledge to others.
Noorizun, who is attached to the Langkawi Fire and Rescue Department (BBP), said the snake catching skills he acquired had allowed him to serve the community.
Catching snakes is no easy task as it requires skills and agility, citing that he had also been bitten twice before by king cobras, said Noorizum, who is nicknamed Russia.
He said he was fortunate to pick up the skills from his father who was also a snake catcher. Since he was a kid, Noorizun had been following his father to catch snakes.
"However, since becoming a firefighter seven years ago, I have had the opportunity to use the skills to catch snakes, including the king cobra, which is the most venomous.
"Snakes, regardless their species, prefer to take shelter in cool surroundings, and because of this, people need to keep their home clean, so as not to invite the reptiles," he said when met at BBP Langkawi recently.
Noorizun said despite his snake catching skills, he always exercised caution because a slight mistake could lead to serious injuries, or death.
He added he would bathe all the snakes every week, including five pythons, three king cobras, and three cobras (tedung senduk) which are kept inside the cage at Taman Astakona at BBP Alor Setar, He also cleans the cage.
"King cobras usually feed on all kinds of snakes, while the pythons are fed chickens or monitor lizards.
"However, snakes do not need to be fed daily because they can survive as long as there is enough water," he added.
Noorizun said with the current unpredictable climate and hot weather, it would encourage snakes, especially the king cobra and tedung senduk, to come out for food and shelter.
He added king cobras are most commonly found in hilly areas such as Padang Terap, Alor Setar, Langkawi and Serdang.
"Thus, we have a five-man Snake Control Special Squadron that guide other staff on how to catch snakes.
"Usually, cats can detect the presence of snakes in the house. If you see a monitor lizard running around, it could be a sign that a cobra is around somewhere," he added.
Norizun said if someone gets bitten by a snake, he should not panic, otherwise the heart will beat faster and the venom will quickly flow into the bloodstream.
He said the victim should seek treatment at a nearby hospital and know the type of snake that bit him, and not trying to suck out the venom because it could be dangerous.
"My advice is not to hit the snake at will as it can invite danger. It's best to contact the rescue squad to help catch the snake in residential areas.
"We have special equipment to capture snakes besides utilising the available expertise to lure the reptiles before catching them," he added.