CAMBODIA: DEFYING HUMAN NATURE & COMMON SENSE 3 YEAR OLD CAMBODIAN BOY, OEUN KANNARA BECOMES BEST FRIEND'S WITH 4 METRE LONG FEMALE PYTHON

Record ID: 544567

  • Title: CAMBODIA: DEFYING HUMAN NATURE & COMMON SENSE 3 YEAR OLD CAMBODIAN BOY, OEUN KANNARA BECOMES BEST FRIEND'S WITH 4 METRE LONG FEMALE PYTHON
  • Date: 23rd May 2003
  • Summary: SIT TBOU, CAMBODIA (RECENT) (REUTERS) PYTHON OWNER KIM KANNARA, 34, PRAYING FOR GOOD LUCK BEFORE FEEDING HER SNAKE HER HUSBAND CLEANING CHICKEN CHAMREUN ('LUCKY') THE PYTHON EATING A CHICKEN OUN SAMBATH, KANNARA'S SON PLAYING WITH THE PYTHON SAMBATH ASLEEP ON PYTHON SOUNDBITE (KHMER) KIM KANNARA, THIRTY FOUR SAYING "A fortune teller told me that my son was the son of a dragon in a previous life and he would become a traditional healer when he's seven years old." CUTAWAY SOUNDBITE (KHMER) KIM SAYING "They love each other very much. I took my son off to the provinces one time, but we couldn't stay there because my son was missing Chamreun so much." PYTHON SLIDING INTO BEDROOM
  • Embargoed: 7th June 2003 13:00
  • Keywords:
  • Location: SIT TBOU, CAMBODIA
  • Country: Cambodia
  • Topics: Environment,Quirky,People,Light / Amusing / Unusual / Quirky
  • Reuters ID: LVAMRIUWVCAG5UV1CWOOOA6FX7E
  • Story Text: Defying human nature and probably common sense, a three-year-old Cambodian boy has become best friends with a four metre long female python, prompting superstitious villagers to believe he was the son of a dragon in a former life.
    The snake, now called Chamreun or 'Lucky' in Khmer, first slithered into the life of Cambodian housewife Kim Kannara three years ago, three months to the day after the birth of her son Oeun.
    Like many villagers in the impoverished southeast Asian nation, they thought the snake would bring them good luck, and refused to drive away the animal which had by now found a comfortable spot under the boy's cot.
    From the moment he first started to crawl, Oeun has been infatuated with Chamreun, whose long scaly body is at thick as his waist.
    The relationship has prompted Cambodians, who believe many animals from cows to elephants and turtles have magic powers, to think the boy was the son of a dragon in a previous life, and to credit him with supernatural healing powers.
    "A fortune teller told me that my son was the son of a dragon in a previous life and he would become a traditional healer when he's seven years old," Kim Kannara said.
    Even though Chamreun could easily make a meal out of her human friend, Oeun is unperturbed, curling up to sleep at night in the giant constrictors coils, or using its head, which can swallow a chicken whole, as a handy pillow.
    The relationship is so strong the family can't go off to see their relatives without Oeun bursting into tears because he misses his reptilian friend.
    "They love each other very much. I took my son off to the provinces one time, but we couldn't stay there because my son was missing Chamreun so much."

    (QUIRKY)
  • Copyright Holder: REUTERS
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