Malaysia’s ‘snake whispering’ firefighter dies after fatal bite ... and no, he didn’t marry a cobra
Abu Zarin Hussin shot to international internet fame after British tabloids reported – falsely – that he believed his pet was his dead girlfriend reincarnated
He had been known for his way with venomous snakes. Pictures and videos of Abu Zarin Hussin show him taking selfies, exercising at the gym, working on his computer and watching television all with his pet cobra. He even kissed snakes on the mouth.
The 33-year-old Malaysian firefighter, who had earned the name the “snake whisperer”, died on Friday, a few days after he was bitten by a cobra. Hussin was rushed to a hospital on Monday after he was bitten in Bentong in the state of Pahang, according to Malaysian news outlet The Star Online.
It is unclear why the snake bit him.
“You may hiss the bride! Man marries 10ft COBRA he believes is his reincarnated girlfriend,” said the headline of a Daily Mail story that was published in November 2016 and remains online.
The story referred to Hussin as an “unidentified husband” and “unidentified boyfriend”, while also misidentifying him as “Warranan Sarasalin from Kanchanaburi in Thailand”. The tabloid also published several pictures with captions like: “He lost his girlfriend five years ago, but photos have shown he and his new wife are very happy together.”