A Malaysian woman has celebrated her birthday in a glass box containing more than 6 000 scorpions, with just days to go before reclaiming a bizarre world record.
Nur Malena Hassan, nicknamed the ”Scorpion Queen”, set the world record in 2001 by spending 30 days with 2 700 scorpions. But Thailand’s Kanchana Ketkaew took the title in 2002 by living with more than 3 000 scorpions for 32 days.
”I feel a bit sad to celebrate my birthday without my family but I’m happy that so many members of the public came to share it with me,” Nur Malena said by cellphone on Sunday from the scorpion box.
Nur Malena, who turned 27 on Saturday, plans this time to spend 36 days in the box. She said she felt confident she could last until September 25 after nearly 2 000 supporters came to cheer her on and join her birthday celebration.
”Only six more days to go. God willing, I can do it. I’ve already lasted for 30 days,” she said.
She had earlier complained of the lack of moral support from her countryment and said she was beginning to feel discouraged.
With 6 069 scorpions crawling all over her body, Nur Malena reads books and watches television to pass the time in the 4m by 3m box at a shopping mall in Kuantan in central Pahang state.
She leaves the room for only 15 minutes each day for a toilet break.
Nur Malena’s trainer, Ali Khan Shamsuddin, said she has built up enough immunity to take up to three scorpion bites in a day.
The feisty woman cried in pain and suffered a mild fever after being stung on the second and sixth day of her attempt but recovered without treatment. — Sapa-AFP