- Title: PAKISTAN: CIRCUS PERFORMER 'GRINGO' EATS LIVE LIZARDS AS PART OF HIS ACT.
- Date: 5th May 1997
- Summary: MULTAN, PAKISTAN (MAY 5, 1997) (RTV - ACCESS ALL) 1. LV: EXTERIOR OF A CIRCUS TENT 0.03 2. GV: CROWDS OF PEOPLE CLAMOURING FOR TICKETS 0.11 3. GV: PEOPLE ENTER CIRCUS 0.16 4. GV: VARIOUS OF A GIRL DANCING 0.32 5. MV: GRINGO HOLDING A LIVE SNAKE 0.38 6. MCU/MV: GRINGO EATING SNAKE (2 SHOTS) 1.16 7. MCU: GRINGO SAYING, "I CAN EAT SNAKE, FROG AND LIZARD. I CHALLENGE IF ANYBODY CAN PERFORM THIS FEAT, I AM PREPARED TO EAT DOG". (URDU) 1.30 8. MV: MIAN AMJAD ALI, CIRCUS OWNER SAYS: "MANY PEOPLE LIKE SNAKE ITEMS, BUT THERE ARE SOME WHO ARE AFRAID OF IT. THEY SAY IT IS NOT GOOD FOR MOSLEMS. THIS IS CIRCUS. IT'S NOT A MOSLEM CIRCUS OR INDIAN CIRCUS. IT'S ONLY A LANGUAGE OF CIRCUS". (ENGLISH) 1.53 9. MCU: FROGS ON GRINGO'S LAP 1.56 10. MV: GRINGO SHOWING FROG 2.00 11. MCU: CHIMPANZEE WATCHING 2.03 12. MCU: GRINGO EATING FROG 2.15 Initials Script is copyright Reuters Limited. All rights reserved
- Embargoed: 20th May 1997 13:00
- Keywords:
- Location: MULTAN, PAKISTAN
- Country: Pakistan
- Reuters ID: LVA9V53DXCMOSMG13MMS04ZNSMVR
- Story Text: INTRO: A circus
performer in Pakistan has developed a gruesome act to draw the crowds by eating
live snakes, frogs and lizards.
-------------------------------------------------------------------- The gory
act is proving to be a crowd puller for the Lucky Irani Circus in Pakistan.
The crowd watches in anticipation as Gringo parades around the ring displaying
the live snake.
But the looks turn to a mixture of fascination and horror as Gringo bites off
its head and rips away its skin before sinking his teeth into the warm flesh
beneath.
Fortunately, the centre of the ring is too far away for the audience of men,
women and children packed under the Big Top to see the gory details of Gringo's
unusual performance.
Gringo, or Jalal Khan to use his given name, uses no trickery at all.The
snakes, and their fate, are real.
"I can eat snakes, lizards, frogs or any other poisonous animals," boasts
Gringo, thin as the snakes he swallows.
"If anyone challenges me, I can eat a dog also." Gringo added that he had never
been sick or felt bad after eating poisonous animals, and would bet ten thousand
rupees (250 US dollars) he could eat any creature.
Gringo, who is paid 500 rupees (125 US dollars) per show, is all too happy to
demonstrate what he calls his art in an impromptu and somewhat messy performance
outside the ring, which cost the lives of one snake and one fat frog.
A second frog, tethered uncomfortably by the back legs, seemed unsure whether to
be more terrified of his owner or of a surviving snake dangling around Gringo's
neck.
Gringo, like many a true artist, is sensitive to criticism.He said the reptiles
were a cheap addition to his diet as food prices were rising in Pakistan.
He also admitted there were 5 other people in nearby Lahore who could eat
snakes, but claimed he had broken all records by eating the most poisonous
animals.
Gringo, who comes from the Punjab provincial city of Faisalabad, says he was
originally training as an acrobat when a former "Gringo" challenged his teacher
to eat a snake.
"I accepted the challenge instead and ate a cobra," he said.
"So after that, he left the circus and I took his place." Mian Amjad Ali, the
owner of the travelling circus, said Gringo's act elicits mixed reviews from
audiences.
"Many people like the snakes item and many people are afraid and say it's not
good for Moslems, but this is not a Moslem circus, it's only a circus with
circus language, which is the reason I have this man," he says."Many children
like it." Asked if he personally enjoys it, Ali grimaced.
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