Man and python have joint birthday celebrations
Phang Joon Siong and his daughter 11-year-old Li Chen playing with their 7-metre-long pet python, Phang Sako at their home in Stampin, Kuching, Monday.
By VANES DEVINDRAN
Python owner Phang Joon Siong will celebrate his 51st birthday along with his pet snake, Phang Sako, which turns 21. Phang said Sako, a seven-metre-long python, will have a better home as his birthday present.
“For the Chinese. the males must always celebrate when their age has the numeral one as its second digit. So since Sako will turn 21 and I will turn 51, we will have a grand celebration,” he said at his home in Stampin, Kuching, Sarawak, on Monday.
Phang said he had spent RM4,000 to build Sako - which means 'Brother Snake' - a better home with steel bars and granite flooring. “Sako will have a wide area to stretch and it will be very airy for him too.
Right now, he had been living in the house with us for the past two weeks already. So after the celebration (on Tuesday), we will introduce him to his new room,” said the proud owner. The reptile had been a family pet for many years and the bond they shared was special.
The car dealer received Sako as a 'baby' from a friend on the eve of Chinese New Year in 1990 and it had been part of the family since then. Phang, his wife Wong Siew Yii and their four children were all happy with Sako living with them and had come to treat the python as a member of the family.
Even their other pets, three dogs and two cats, have adapted well with their slithery housemate. Wong said Sako never gave her any problems and was very disciplined. “He eats once every two months at least and he will show us signs that he is hungry by being eager to follow us wherever we go.
Each time we approach him, he will raise his head anticipating that we are bringing him food,” she said. Sako now goes through five big chickens at one go. She said many people would drop by to meet Sako as the python apparently can indicate if the guest would strike the lottery.
“Sako does not give you numbers. It simply shows if you are going to be lucky or not by raising its head when you approach it,” she said. She said her husband had once tried to give Sako away as he was too busy to look after the reptile.
However, she said less than a month later, Sako left its new home only to show up at Joon Siong’s home.
“Sako showed thanks to his supposed new ‘owner’ by shedding and leaving its skin behind. We were approached by someone a long time ago who wanted to buy the python.
“We were offered RM10,000 but my husband refused to sell him. Sako is like part of our family,” she said.
