Snake 'befriends' snack hamster (bless, mercy, Article, Zen)

[Bishka]

Snake 'befriends' snack hamster

Aochan, the snake 'seems to enjoy' being with Gohan, the hamster

A rodent-eating snake and a hamster have developed an unusual bond at a zoo in the Japanese capital, Tokyo, the Associated Press news agency reports.

Their relationship began in October last year, when zookeepers presented the hamster to the snake as a meal.

The rat snake, however, refused to eat the rodent. The two now share a cage.

"I have never seen anything like it," a zookeeper at the Mutsugoro Okoku zoo said, adding that the hamster was known to fall asleep sitting atop the snake.



The hamster was initially offered to Aochan, the two-year-old rat snake, because it was refusing to eat frozen mice, the Associated Press reports.

As a joke, the zookeeper said they named the hamster Gohan - the Japanese word for meal. "I don't think there's any danger. Aochan seems to enjoy Gohan's company very much," zookeeper Kazuya Yamamoto told the Associated Press news agency. The apparent friendship between the snake and hamster is one of many reported bonds spanning the divide between predator and prey.





http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/asia-pacific/4627950.stm

[michel]

Originally Posted by beckysoup61

Snake 'befriends' snack hamster

Aochan, the snake 'seems to enjoy' being with Gohan, the hamster

A rodent-eating snake and a hamster have developed an unusual bond at a zoo in the Japanese capital, Tokyo, the Associated Press news agency reports.

Their relationship began in October last year, when zookeepers presented the hamster to the snake as a meal.

The rat snake, however, refused to eat the rodent. The two now share a cage.

"I have never seen anything like it," a zookeeper at the Mutsugoro Okoku zoo said, adding that the hamster was known to fall asleep sitting atop the snake.



The hamster was initially offered to Aochan, the two-year-old rat snake, because it was refusing to eat frozen mice, the Associated Press reports.

As a joke, the zookeeper said they named the hamster Gohan - the Japanese word for meal. "I don't think there's any danger. Aochan seems to enjoy Gohan's company very much," zookeeper Kazuya Yamamoto told the Associated Press news agency. The apparent friendship between the snake and hamster is one of many reported bonds spanning the divide between predator and prey.





http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/asia-pacific/4627950.stm

Incredibly wonderful to see; thank you for that!
On a side note...........

While my family was in Africa, my Mother told me, I had a friend (one of the few other white boys), whose mother had been similarly surprized.

The little lad was given a glass of milk at tea time every afternoon by his Mum. After a while, he took to taking the milk outside, in the Garden.

Shortly after, he asked his Mum if he could have a saucer with his glass of milk. His mother agreed, and each afternoon, the little guy took his glass of milk, on a saucer, into the garden to drink.

His Mum was, by now, fascinated to know where he was going, so, one afternoon, she followed him.

He went and sat in the Garden, under a tree, put his saucer down, poured some milk in it, and started drinking from his glass. The Mother then saw a snake (and I couldn't tell you what sort) slowly come down the tree, settle down next to the lad, and drink the milk from the saucer. When he finished, he just went back up the tree.

That is nature at it's best, innocent, uncorrupt, just as is that wonderful picture in the article you provided. Now that is one of the reasons I believe in God........

[Bishka]

Originally Posted by michel

Incredibly wonderful to see; thank you for that!
On a side note...........

While my family was in Africa, my Mother told me, I had a friend (one of the few other white boys), whose mother had been similarly surprized.

The little lad was given a glass of milk at tea time every afternoon by his Mum. After a while, he took to taking the milk outside, in the Garden.

Shortly after, he asked his Mum if he could have a saucer with his glass of milk. His mother agreed, and each afternoon, the little guy took his glass of milk, on a saucer, into the garden to drink.

His Mum was, by now, fascinated to know where he was going, so, one afternoon, she followed him.

He went and sat in the Garden, under a tree, put his saucer down, poured some milk in it, and started drinking from his glass. The Mother then saw a snake (and I couldn't tell you what sort) slowly come down the tree, settle down next to the lad, and drink the milk from the saucer. When he finished, he just went back up the tree.

That is nature at it's best, innocent, uncorrupt, just as is that wonderful picture in the article you provided. Now that is one of the reasons I believe in God........

That's pretty cool.

[fromthe heart]

perhaps the snake was just lonely or has a more refined palett

[jeffrey]

Originally Posted by fromthe heart

perhaps the snake was just lonely or has a more refined palett

Or just fattening him up for a 'special occasion' Michel, Becky, both heart warning stories.

[Terrywoodenpic]

Perhaps it's a religious thing and he can't eat ham in any form.

Terry________________________


Blessed are the merciful, mercy shall be shown unto them.

[Bishka]

Originally Posted by Terrywoodenpic

Perhaps it's a religious thing and he can't eat ham in any form.

Terry________________________


Blessed are the merciful, mercy shall be shown unto them.

Hehe.

[Buttons*]

I heard that on the radio this morning! Crazy! *smiles*

[nutshell]

So what is the snake eating then? Has he gone back to frozen mice?