KUALA LUMPUR: Action hero Indiana Jones is known for fearlessly rushing into ancient ruins to rescue damsels in distress and priceless artefacts.
But the most beloved archaeologist in cinema history acknowledges his fear of snakes and tries to surpass it - even if he needs a couple of minutes to recompose himself after walking in a room full of snakes.
Most of us will either cower away in fright or endanger ourselves by getting too close to the unwelcome creature or, even worse, hurt the prey in the process of catching it to remove it from our property.
Meet Malaysia’s very own team of Indiana Jones, the nation’s unsung heroes, King Cobra Squad (SKC) - the only snake handling team which was set up in 2015 under the Fire and Rescue Department.
Today, the specialist fire-fighting unit that was assigned to catch deadly snakes - and to save lives - has 20 staff, with six of them stationed at the Wakaf Tapai Fire and Rescue Academy here.
At the academy here recently, a snake handling training conducted by the SKC since Aug 1, was in progress. Four officers from Fire and Rescue Department and their counterparts from Brunei’s Fire and Rescue Department and 10 officers from the Fire and Rescue Academy from across the nation are taking part in the one-month programme.
Well-equipped
SKC Chief Instructor, who is also senior fire officer II, Safiq Mohamad told Bernama, "Snakes are wild animals with the potential to attack humans, and as such we need to overcome the phobia of snakes by undergoing regular 'snake confidence' training within a glass enclosure at the Snake Training Gallery here."
"This allows the team to adapt themselves to the behavioural patterns of snake species such as King Cobra, Monocled Cobra and Spitting Cobra.
"Regular training is needed to acquire handling and manipulation techniques of catching snakes.
"What’s interesting, many other parties are also interested in undergoing training with SKC especially the Emergency Response Teams (ERTs) at factories and other government agencies.
"They will undergo various types of training including the theoretical aspects covering introduction on snakes and other snake species as well as early treatment for snakebite victims," he added.
The squad has a handbook containing its very own specialised training modules which are regularly updated every year to equip the team with the various techniques and knowledge in handling venomous and non-venomous snakes.
The training modules have to be regularly updated with the latest techniques and information given that there are over 200 species of snakes in Malaysia, and most of them have yet to be identified, with only 20 species known to be living near human settlements.
To date, SKC has provided training for the Air Force and the Armed Forces, and has also collaborated with other defence forces including the United States (US Army) and Brunei as part of efforts to make Malaysia a referral nation for providing modules in handling poisonous snakes and other animals.
Always prepared
Safiq said there are 17 types of snakes including venomous and non-venomous snakes at the Gallery, among others reticulated python and Wagler’s Pit Viper.
All these snakes are registered as Live Assets to allow SKC to secure a budget for food and health examination conducted once a year by the Veterinary Services Department.
"These snakes are separated based on their respective species and are placed in a special glass enclosure as keeping different species together in one place will cause them to fight.
"Snakes that are usually used for training are reticulated python and King Cobra as these species are those that are commonly found intruding Malaysian homes.
"During training, these snakes are left to slither on our legs and body," he added.
On its snake handling operation, SKC usually receives phone calls from the public through the emergency line 999 said Safiq, noting that for calls received during office hours, a team from the nearest Fire Station will be despatched to handle the case.
However, if calls are received after working hours, such as at night, the SKC team will provide voluntary service without any charges to carry out the operation.
"If the SKC receives such calls, we will discuss with team members who are free to immediately rush to the scene and at least two staff should be deployed for the operation," he added.
Noting that the team has the willpower and fortitude to act when called on in an instant, even after working hours, he said each SKC member is operationally proficient and stands ready with the necessary operational tools.
They include snake tongs with well-designed jaws to securely hold both small and medium-sized snakes, snake poles for large-sized snakes and snake hoop bags to temporarily keep the snake that is caught.
To date, SKC has received nearly 200-300 calls yearly related to snakes in the state, while the Fire and Rescue Department is estimated to receive nearly 20,000 snake-related cases nationwide early year.
Don’t panic
Safiq’s advice to the public: Don’t panic when a snake enters your house as it will exhibit certain defensive behaviours - and will only bite - if provoked.
Don’t disturb or threaten the snake, and you should ensure the snake is quarantined in a closed area and that the door is closed when it enters the room.
"When faced with a venomous snake in particular, be sure you are at a safe distance of about 5ft to 6 ft from the snake, and immediately call 999 or the SKC team.
"You must also ensure that the snake is in a quarantined area until the rescue team arrives," said Safiq.
If a victim is bitten by a snake, the most important thing is to identify the snake species whether it is venomous or non-venomous, and it is best that a photo of the snake is taken to be shared by the relevant parties such as the fire unit and hospital, he added.
Once bitten by a snake, the victim should immediately be rushed to the government hospital, and not to a clinic or private hospital.
This is because anti-venom medication is only available at government hospitals.
"Otherwise, time is wasted in seeking immediate treatment especially if you are bitten by a venomous snake or the King Cobra.
"The area that is bitten should also be bandaged and should not be too tight, to avoid the venom from spreading to other parts of the body.
"Members of the public should not be bold enough to suck on a snake bite to remove the venom from the body. Leave it to the rescue team as they are well-trained for the job," he said.
Safiq also recalled his experience when he was nearly bitten by a two-metre female King Cobra during an operation on March 19 at a house in Kampung Serada, Kuala Terengganu.
"At that time, the snake was on the rooftop and I had to climb up to catch it. Suddenly, the zinc roof that I stepped on was broken and my right leg was trapped and the snake was about to strike at me and fortunately I managed to ward off the serpent’s head with my left leg," he said, noting that the King Cobra’s venom or neurotoxin can affect the respiratory system and can be fatal if the victim is not immediately treated.
Those who are interested in learning about snakes and watch the SKC team in action during the snake handling operation can visit SKC social media platforms such as YouTube (squad king cobra channel), Facebook (skuad king cobra JPBM) and TikTok (squad king cobra official). - Bernama
