The Chronicle

BULAWAYO, Saturday, March 23, 1968 — A father of three is to attempt to beat the world record snake pit “sleep in” record at this year’s Central African Trade Fair in Bulawayo.

The present record for living among venomous snakes is 16 days. But Mr B McMenamin, a Hippo Valley Estates section manager, will walk into the pit on April 25 — eight days before the Trade Fair opens — intending to emerge again on the last day of the Trade Fair, May 11.

In the pit will be more than 50 poisonous snakes, including boomslangs, mambas, Egyptian cobras and spitting cobras.

Said Mr McMenamin: “I’ve not done anything like this before so I’m crossing my fingers a bit. But I’m pretty sure that I’ll be able to do it without coming to any harm.

“I started to get interested some time ago and now I think I know the habits of the various types well enough not to get really hurt. If anything does happen, I’ll have someone on watch 24 hours a day to help and I’ll be taking a full selection of snake serum to Bulawayo with me.”

Mac is one of two of Hippo Valley men running a snake farm on the estates. The other is Mr Barry Washington, who will be accompanying him to the fair.

Said Mac: “We started the farm a year ago because of the number of snakes we saw around here. Now the Africans on the states are always on the lookout for snakes since I pay them for every one I catch.”