CAIRO - Many people are fascinated by snakes, but a lot of them rarely see these wonderful reptiles. Ibrahim el-Arabi is an exception to the rule, as he owns lots of these beautiful creatures, treating them like his own babies. He constantly pampers them and gives them their favourite food to eat. “Looking after snakes is second nature for me, because I was brought up with them, as my father and grandfather both kept snakes,” Ibrahim says. “They are very peaceful creatures but many people do not realise this. If they see a snake, the panic and try to kill it with a stick or a rock. The snake obviously lashes out in self-defence,” he told the Egyptian Mail in an interview. Ibrahim loves spending time with his serpents, venomous and non-venomous alike. “When I was very small, I was bitten by a snake and my father then made me eat it, to overcome my fear. Now they are my best friends. “I have a snake farm with snakes from inside and outside Egypt. Some of them come from America, Europe, Africa and India,” he added. Ibrahim is constantly learning new things about his pets and how to care for them. He attended a course about snakes given by some Chinese experts who came to Egypt and they were so impressed by his enthusiasm that they arranged for him to do another course abroad. “Anyone who keeps snakes has to know how to make them feel happy and safe, and then you won't get bitten,” he stressed. On one occasion, one of his snakes slithered across the floor of Ibrahim's apartment and bit his four-year-old son in the face. Ibrahim decided to hold a reconciliation session between his boy and the 45kg snake. The session was broadcast on many TV channels, as it was something quite unique, at least in the Arab world. “My other hobby is ninja. I learnt this art with the help of some foreign experts and I'm now Egypt's first certified ninja trainer,” he added proudly.
