Coffee and snake - Taipei pet shop aims to break down prejudice against the animal

Taipei: As the Year of the Snake approaches, a pet store in Taipei is offering adventurous customers an opportunity to enjoy the company of snakes while sipping coffee, hoping to break down some of the prejudice against the animal.

Taiwan has been plastered with images of the reptile ahead of the start of the Lunar New Year, which starts on Wednesday and whose zodiac animal this year is the snake.

The snake has a mixed reputation in traditional Taiwanese and Chinese culture as a symbol of either good or bad.

Some of Taiwan's indigenous peoples venerate snakes as guardian spirits, and while the island is home to species potentially deadly to humans, including vipers and cobras, deaths are rare given the wide availability of anti-venom.

Luo Chih-yu, 42, the owner of the Taipei pet shop Pythonism which opened in 2017, is offering potential snake owners the chance to interact with snakes over a cup of coffee.

"I provide a space for people to try and experience, finding out whether they like them without any prejudice," he said.

Liu Ting-chih took his daughter to the shop, who looked curiously at the animals in their cages.

"Through this activity she can learn how to take care of small animals and cherish them," Liu said.

Sub-tropical and mountainous Taiwan is home to some 60 native snake species.