Peter Muriithi from Kiandegwa, Mwea, Kirinyaga County is currently nursing snake bite between his legs after a friend turned foe. What surprised many is that the friend was not just a friend but a snake that he has been rearing for some time in his rural home.
Muriithi came into the public limelight because of his unmatched skills in capturing snakes, habiting and training them, with the snakes not cause him any danger to him.
For close to ten years now, he has perfected his skills which started with just capturing rats in Mwea rice irrigation scheme before he ventured into snakes capturing.
His fame has been spreading like bush fire in the recent past because of his unmatched skills. If any of the locals would see a snake in his house or shamba, the first person they call is Muriithi who has even learned on how to communicate with the highly feared reptiles.
When he wants to feed the snakes, he poaches frogs and the calls the snake by producing sound similar to that of frog making the snakes come out of their hiding point.
Surprisingly, no single snake has ever turned against Muriithi but a few days ago one snake turned against him and left him with serious injuries between his legs. After the incident he was rushed to a neighboring hospital where he was admitted for week before being discharged to nurse the injuries at home.
Upon seeking audience with him, Muriithi said that he mistakenly lied on the snake making it aggressive resulting to a bite in between his legs.
However, Muriithi assured us the snake bite will not end his love for snakes because they are his source of income and sometimes he takes them for exhibition or some locals tours his home to see the domesticated snakes making him earn a living.
Residents have also cried on the government and the department Kenya Wildlife Service to offer Peter Muriithi a formal job especially on taking care of snakes.
