/ 19 March 2006

Malaysian makes hissstory with snake-kissing feat

A former Malaysian snake farm worker may have set a new world record after kissing a poisonous snake 51 times in three minutes, a report said on Sunday.

Shahimi Abdul Hamid’s feat in kissing the 4,6m-long king cobra weighing 10kg 51 times in three minutes and one second was a record waiting to be verified, the Sunday Star newspaper said.

Records showed that Gordon Cates from Florida, United States, kissed 11 cobras without a time limit in September 1999.

Cates had used an iron bar to protect himself while Shahimi used only his bare hands.

Asked why he did such a dangerous act on Saturday, Shahimi said: “Malaysians should know that if one has sufficient knowledge of reptiles, there would be no problem in dealing with them.” – AFP