
A flat, open, paved space. Crowds of tourists and locals milling about, oblivious to what could be happening down at ankle-level. No protective glass to the shield the viewer from the viewed. No manufactured environment of acrylic and concrete for the creature to retreat to when startled. No information panel indicating that Naja Haje or Egyptian Cobra is one of the most venomous species of snake in North Africa and who is uncomfortable in open areas or that the Puff Adder (Bitis Arietans) is responsible for the most snakebite fatalities on the continent. Just an unsettling reassurance from snake charmer that a paid photo with a deadly serpent was worth a thousand words.


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