Mr Chew, owner and showman of Snake Farm (1 March 2009)
Mr Chew and his slittery garland (1 March 2009)
Mr Chew with the mangrove snake (1 March 2009)
Tim getting a feel of the iguana (1 March 2009)
Mr Chew explaining snake skins to Tim (1 March 2009)
Tim with Mr Chew Poh Hoo, the owner of the Snake Farm (1 March 2009)
The Snake Farm is a reptile menagerie located located within the compound of the Snake Temple in Sungai Keluang, Bayan Lepas. It was started by Mr Chew Poh Hoo and his sister, and contains over 50 species of snakes, including the rare Albino Cobra.
The Snake Farm opened around 2006. It provides its expertise in looking after the pit vipers of the Snake Temple in return for the opportunity to operate within its compound.
Penang Heritage Trust Site Visit
I visited the Snake Farm during the PHT Site Visit to the Snake Temple on 1 March, 2009. I was greeted by the owner, Mr Chew, who showed me around the farm. He also gave an explanation on the snakes and Chinese beliefs. According to him, some Chinese believe that the skin of the snake, when placed in the wallet, helps a person keep his money - as though the snake offers protection to the cash.
Snakes shed their skin, and remnant of the skin is displayed in the farm. According to Mr Chew, snakes that are healthy shed their skin whole. On the other hand, the skin shedded by ailing snakes are brittle and breaks into many pieces.
In addition to snakes, the farm also rears rabbits, macaques, guinea pigs, iguanas, and other animals. Mr Chew is a believer in yin and yang. Snakes are "yin" animals. The farm adds the presence of rabbits, which carry the "yang" force, for balance the forces.
At the farm, I had the opportunity to follow Mr Chew into the cage where he offered me the opportunity to touch the iguana. The skin has a strange feel to it, like touching your dog but instead of fur, it is a plastic-like skin. He also showed me the rare Albino Cobra. Then we were treated to a snake show. After members of PHT have taken their seats, Mr Chew took out the snakes. First out of the box were a couple of cobras. Next came the mangrove snake. And then lastly, the king cobra. It was a thoroughly enjoyable visit and all the members had a great time.
The Snake Farm is open daily from 9:00 am to 5:30 pm. The admission fee is RM5.00 for adults and RM3.00 for children, with a discount of RM2.00 for persons holding MyKad. Snake shows are given on Saturdays and Sundays.
Visiting Penang
If you're planning a trip to Penang, please go through the information I have assembled in Penang Travel Tips. You'd find there information covering all aspect about Penang, including accommodation, transport, food, shopping, places of interest and more. Everything you need to know Penang is right there at your finger tips!
Click on any of the thumbnails below to view the photos of the snakes of the Snake Farm full size.
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Penang Travel Tips is researched and written by Timothy Tye, universally known as Tim. The text is the copyright of Timothy Tye, and may not be copied for commercial use or re-published in another website without the author's permission. Information provided is in goodwill and is believed to be correct and up-to-date at time of writing. Photographs on this website are the copyright of the author and may not be reused without prior permission. For commercial licensing of photographs, read the licensing terms.
