Snake temple

Many years ago there was a Chinese Buddhist monk named Chor Soo Kong who came to live in Penang. Like the Buddha he cared for all living creatures—even poisonous snakes. It is said that he gave shelter to snakes from the jungle.

A temple was built in his memory. It was finished about 1850. After it was completed vipers, poisonous snakes, came to stay in the temple. Vipers are still living in the temple today. Although their venom is deadly to humans, they have never been known to attack anyone. The correct name of the temple is Hock Kin Keong, sometimes it's also called the Temple of the Azure Cloud but most people call it the snake temple.


I visited the snake temple recently. There is a room in the temple where there are quite a few snakes. There are some big pythons. You can have your picture taken with them if you wish. There are also a few little guys like this.


Actually, when I got there these snakes were not moving at all. I thought they must be fakes. I asked someone and he said 'No, they like to rest in the daytime. They move around more at night.' Most of them were on a tall stand but this one was on a stand about one metre high. The man prodded it and it started to move. So I took a few photos.


The man explained that all the snakes on the high stand are venomous. They have poison that can kill a man. This one has had the venom removed. They put a red mark on its forehead so they know which one is safe.

I went out the back of the temple where there are some gardens. In trees in the gardens you can see more snakes sleeping.


When I came back inside I took this closeup shot of the snake without any venom.


Some of the others were moving around a little too. So I got on a chair and took this pic of one of them.

Learning to shoot wildlife with a camera

When I was in Thailand recently, my friend, Larry, suggested we go to visit Michel in Kanchanaburi. Michel and his wife, Nong, take fantastic photos of wildlife which they put on flickr. They invited us to come and stay in their house for a few days. Here they are with Nong's grandson.


When we arrived we went to see the Bridge over the River Kwai which was famous in World War II. There was a movie made about it.


The next day we went off into the bush to take photos of wildlife.


Michel is going to give us some tips on taking great wildlife pictures.

After a while, he stopped the Land Cruiser and said 'See, there.'

'What?'

'In the bamboo. Squirrels.'

'Squirrels? I don't see any squirrels. All I see is lots of bamboo.'


Michel pointed and I saw it. Can you see it in the photo above?

Later I got this close-up shot.


I learned the first lesson of shooting wildlife (with a camera). Keep your eyes open and look carefully.

A little further along the track we stopped again beside another clump of bamboo. 'See the bird?'


It took me a while. But I could see it. It's tiny. How did he see it while he was driving?

I got this shot.


And I've learned the second important lesson of shooting wildlife. It's the same as the first. Keep your eyes open and look carefully.

Later we got out of the car and took a walk in the bush. I got this shot all by myself.


OK, so it's only a chicken. But it was free in the bush and it was hard to see against the colour of the straw. Can you see the baby chicken?