Making snakes less scary: Nick's work in Thailand

In Thailand, Nirut Chomngam helps people to recognise and learn to co-exist with snakes with his Youtube channel.

Fear can be countered by knowledge, which allows people to feel less powerless and to react in the right way.

Knowing the snake's reactions to avoid being bitten

Nirut 'Nick' Chomngam kneels in front of a large monocled cobra.

The snake raises and extends its head in warning.

A quick, well-targeted bite could get the Thai wildlife expert in trouble, but Mr Nirut is not concerned.

He slowly reaches out and touches the snake on top of his head.

The cobra does not flinch.

"The snakes may look expressionless, but you can read their moods," Nirut later explained.

If the cobra fixes its gaze on you and begins to stick out its tongue rapidly, this indicates that it is agitated.

If he starts whistling and pulling his head back, he is preparing to strike.

This cobra does none of these things.

Then Mr. Nirut lifts him up by the end of his tail.

Holding it gently, he gives the snake plenty of room to wiggle, and it swivels curiously in his hand.

Mr Nirut's cameraman zooms in for a lingering close-up.

It is a wrap.

The footage, shot in a rural area outside BangkokThe video will be broadcast on Mr Nirut's YouTube channel, which has almost 900,000 subscribers.

His 300 or so Thai-language videos have been viewed more than 140 million times in a country of 69 million people.

Mr Nirut's direct contact with dangerous snakes can resemble the stunts that Thai snake handlers perform at 'snake farms' for the benefit of amazed tourists.

Yet it has a higher purpose than mere entertainment.

Dressed in his trademark black polo shirt, khaki cargo trousers and sturdy hiking boots, Mr. Nirut travels the Thailand at his own expense to educate forest rangers, wildlife officials and villagers about the myriad of snakes in the country.

Ads

Using slides, videos and live animals, he explains how to distinguish between species, how to avoid being bitten and what to do if you are bitten.

"Most Thais are terrified of snakes, but if they see me handling dangerous snakes safely, they can learn to understand these fascinating animals," he says.

In each case, education is its mission.

"Snakes are a wonder of nature. They are very important for the health of ecosystems, so we should protect them," he says.

In the midst of 200 species of snake

A change in people's attitudes should benefit the snakes of Thailand, where more than 200 species are native to tropical wetlands, grasslands, forests and seas.

Of these, less than a third are poisonous.

Many Thais, however, prefer not to take any chances and kill any snake on sight.

"Once I came across a snake and I hit it to death," says Supachok Chumpet, who lives in Bangkok.

"Later I watched Nick's videos and realised I shouldn't have," he adds.

"I regret having killed him.

Many Thais have no choice but to coexist with snakes.

In Bangkok alone, there are nearly 40,000 snake invasions of homes each year.

Thailand's sprawling capital was built on swampy ground that is home to countless crawling reptiles.

Although deprived of their natural habitat by the encroachment of development, the snakes never left.

They continue to live in green areas, especially around the many canals of the city.

And many of them venture into gardens and homes for food and shelter.

When this happens, panicked residents call the fire service for help.

Pinyo Pukpinyo, a firefighter specialising in snake capture, responds to up to ten calls a day.

"Most people live next to snakes, whether they like it or not," says Mr Pinyo, who is stationed in a suburban area.

"They don't think about snakes until there's one in the house," he adds.

"Then they frantically try to Google what kind of snake it is and call us to come get it."

Mr. Nirut regularly joins Mr. Pinyo in training sessions for Bangkok firefighters.

"It spreads knowledge about snakes online," the firefighter observes.

"Before Nick came along, the fate of snakes was to be killed immediately.

Now, thanks to his videos, they have a better chance of saving themselves.

Even those charged with protecting snakes often cannot distinguish a deadly cobra from a non-venomous rat snake.

"Many rangers don't know about snakes," says Nirut, who worked part-time as a ranger in a national park in central Thailand until six years ago, when he started making wildlife documentaries.

"Their job is to protect wildlife, including snakes," he notes. "Instead, they kill the snakes out of fear.

A YouTube star

Through his informative and engaging videos, Nirut has become a YouTube star in his home country.

He seeks to emulate his idol, the late Australian animal expert Steve Irwinin its efforts.

His good looks and kindness added to his popular appeal.

"In Thailand, no one has done what he is doing," says Aganid Yankomut, a biologist who has accompanied Nirut on some of his field trips.

"It is particularly popular with women," she laughs.

It is certainly popular with Preeyaporn Wongsatiam, who lives in a northern province where snakes are common.

"I love every single one of his videos," she says. "I've learned a lot from them. If a snake comes to my house, now I know what to do."

This includes staying calm, identifying the snake and calling a snake catching expert if necessary.

Mr Nirut has never been bitten himself - except on purpose.

He once provoked a non-venomous Xenopeltis (sunbeam snake) to bite him on one finger.

Xenopeltis snake (sunbeam snake)

He did so for a video in which he sought to dispel a widespread misconception that the snake, which is common in Thailand, is highly poisonous.

"Even poisonous snakes like cobras and vipers won't bother you unless you bother them first so they feel threatened," he says.

"I want people to stop harming snakes and learn to co-exist with them."

His mission was not always a walk in the park, so to speak.

Last year he contracted a serious lung infection during a week-long stay in a forest in southern Thailand.

"It has not been easy for me, travelling around the country and spending a lot of time in the forests," he says. he concedes.

"But I want to help people, and I want to help snakes."

Nirut's videos help change attitudes, says Montri Sumontha, a herpetologist who works for Thailand's Ministry of Fisheries.

"Thais have many false beliefs about snakes, which adds to their fear of them," he says.

Some locals believe that king cobras can magically appear and disappear; others believe that certain herbs planted around the houses will keep the snakes away.

In Nick's videos," says Montri, "people can see with their own eyes how false these beliefs are.

Video : Capture of a giant King Cobra

The video presentation of his Youtube page: