AFGHANISTAN: AN AFGHAN TEENAGER WANTS TO BREAK THE WORLD RECORD FOR THE LONGEST TIME SPENT ISOLATED WITH SCORPIONS

Record ID: 861154

  • Title: AFGHANISTAN: AN AFGHAN TEENAGER WANTS TO BREAK THE WORLD RECORD FOR THE LONGEST TIME SPENT ISOLATED WITH SCORPIONS
  • Date: 4th November 2003
  • Summary: CU PHOTOGRAPHS OF SHEIRZAD'S SONS WITH SCORPIONS ON THEIR FACES IN IRAN
  • Embargoed: 19th November 2003 12:00
  • Keywords:
  • Location: CHARIKAR, PARWAN PROVINCE, AFGHANISTAN
  • City:
  • Country: Afghanistan
  • Topics: Environment,Health,Quirky
  • Reuters ID: LVA69CBJ0KO5CGZUPKES4OTNSE22
  • Aspect Ratio:
  • Story Text: An Afghan teenager wants to break the world record for the longest time spent isolated with scorpions.
    This 17-year old Afghan boy is fearless when it comes to scorpions.
    Amin Sheirzad has been playing with scorpions and absorbing their deadly stings from an early age. He watched his father wow audiences in Iran with his fearless handling of scorpions and wanted a part in the show.
    Amin is also convinced that with a little more practice he will win the Guinness Book of World Records for the longest time spent in isolation with the venomous creatures.
    The current record holder, Thai national Kanchana Ketkaew, was dubbed 'the Scorpion Queen' after she spent 32 days locked inside a room with about three thousand scorpions in October 2002.
    "I am preparing to win her title. My father will also be able to beat her. I can definitely do it if my father allows me," Amin said.
    But it's not all for show his father Mohammad Sheirzad is convinced that scorpion poison, snake venom and a mixture of mountain herbs can cure epilepsy and scabies after treating his youngest son successfully.
    48-year old Mohammed Sheirzad has set up a clinic in his home town of Charikar and local people are flocking to take his unorthodox concoctions.
    He first started dealing with scorpions in Iran where he moved in 1974 and since then has taught his seven sons and one daughter to play with the deadly insects.
    Gul Pickey is one of his satisfied customers. She says Sheirzad's medicine has helped her epilepsy.
    "I have epilepsy and since I started the treatment with Doctor Sheirzad eight months ago I have gotten much better.
    His treatment really works and I am very happy about that,"
    Gul Pickey said.
    Sheirzad says he has 600 patients at the moment and 140 are suffering from scabies.
    At the moment the Sheirzad family only have several dozen scorpions but they plan to acquire more.
    Sheirzad says the key to resisting the scorpion's deadly sting sometimes depends on your blood group but after several stings you become invulnerable.
    "Even in my childhood, when I was in school I enjoyed playing with scorpions. I used to search them out in my town and whenever I found them I would kiss them," Sheirzad said.
    Sheirzad would like to expand his clinic into a small factory producing medicine for the sick.
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