Lai shows a snake he caught.
WHEN I was a child, I loved reading a Chinese folk story about a snake falling in love with a man. It’s called Madam White Snake.
Of course, in real life, this has never happened. In fact, whenever homeowners find a snake slithering into their homes, they will call in a snake-catching service.
Lai also helps to rescue wildlife, such as this monkey.
In Sibu, one such service provider is Lai Lee Siew, dubbed the ‘Snake King’ for his uncanny ability to catch snakes with his bare hands.
His reputation as a skilled snake-catcher has spread far and wide.
A cobra caught with Lai’s help after it wandered into a house.
A China CCTV reporter flew in recently to meet him and record his snake stories for airing to 1.4 billion viewers in China.
Lai has also appeared on TV in Taiwan as well as on an Astro programme.
At home, he was invited to display his snake-catching skills at last year’s Borneo Cultural Festival, among others.
Lai and one of his biggest reptilian catches.
The ‘Snake King’ has even received calls from people in Kuching, Miri and other towns for advice on handling reptiles that wandered into their homes. He said he has also received calls from Kuala Lumpur.
Lai has been catching snakes daily for two decades.
“Yes, I receive SOSs every day, even at odd hours – 3am to 4am. I never turn down a request because I know the people affected desperately need help.”
His record shows he has caught over 70 snakes in the last two months.
With bare hands
He pointed out that contrary to what people thought, he was never ‘armed to the teeth’ when out catching snakes.
“I do it with my bare hands although at times I need a rod to hold down the slippery reptiles,” he explained.
He would keep the snake he caught in a sack or container. For a smaller reptile, he said he even kept it in a candy jar.
Lai knows a lot about snakes as he has been catching them since he was a child.
Lai catches a cobra.
“My father had a stall at the Lembangan Market. I spent a lot of time there and went swimming in the Lembangan River. I used to catch snakes and even crocodiles in the river.”
He said he started providing his snake-catching and wildlife-rescuing service to the community in his 20s and after his story was published in the newspapers, SOSs flooded in daily.
From his experience, he noted that most snakes wandered into homes during the wet season although this also happened when the weather got too dry.
He believes development is another factor why snakes strayed into homes.
“When a forest is cleared for property development, the snakes lose their natural habitat.”
Longest catch
Lai caught his longest snake in Sungai Bidut, measuring over 20 feet.
Generally, he said, snakes caught in urban areas aren’t as big.
Lai and the crocodile he released back to the wild.
He has also received calls to rescue wildlife, including monkeys, crocodiles, bears, hornbills and some other rainforest species, that encroached on residential areas.
Chua said he would not kill a snake or catch other wildlife for the cooking pot.
“My late mother’s advice often rings in my ears. She wanted me to do it as a contribution to the community. She was a Buddhist and she forbade me to kill wildlife but set them free.”
Lai, who has been working closely with the Forest Department, said he handed some of the wildlife he caught to the department and released the rest back into the jungle.
He still has a few snakes and wildlife in his house, waiting to be set free.
Utmost care needed
Although the technique of catching snakes sounds easy – just hold down the head – Lai cautioned it is a must to take the utmost care.
For catching poisonous snakes like king cobras, he said he would wear glasses because these serpents could spit venom.
“For the bite, say, on the foot, splash it with water, and seek medical help immediately,” he shared.
To prevent snakes from wandering into homes, Lai advised keeping the compound clean.
Lai displays his snake catching skills at the Borneo Cultural Festival.
“Make sure there are no frogs, rats and other wildlife in the living space. Even a dog and a cat can attract a snake. Try not to harm or kill the reptiles. Release them back into the wild where they belong. Wildlife are meant to be born free,” he said.