These are not good times for snake charmers. Recently we told of the problems India’s charmers are having, what with them no longer being allowed to use snakes. It doesn’t leave them much of an act.

Those in Pakistan aren’t leading such a charmed life, either. Their flutes are flouted by a public with plenty of other forms of entertainment.

Things are so bad that a bunch of them just got together for a crisis conference.  They want their government to support them financially and establish a sanctuary and research center.  There may be a certain loss of dignity at having to be a governmennt-subsidized snake charmer, but clearly these guys plan to perpetuate their skill. 

As one of them said at the conference, “We give sutti (venom) to our boys at birth, this makes them immune to snake bites.” Thanks, Dad… Here’s the story:    Here is the Oddly Enough Blog:                                                                   

Faqeer Baharani, the head of Pakistan Snake Charmers Council, shows off a bunch of snakes as a snake charmer plays his wooden flute at the start of a snake charmers’ gathering in the southern Pakistani city of Hyderabad  in this January 20, 2007 picture.  REUTERS/Akram Shahid