Rare snakes charm visitors at Ibn Battuta Mall

Visitors to the Ibn Battuta Mall have the unique opportunity to come in close contact with some of the rarest varieties of snakes in the world after the mall was chosen as the location for the ‘Snake Oasis’.
 
 As part of Dubai Summer Surprises 2005, Ibn Battuta Mall is hosting a specially designed ‘forest’ in China Court, showcasing 17 rare varieties of snakes. More than 5,000 visitors have already visited the “Snake Oasis’ with many taking the opportunity to hold and have photos taken with the snakes.
 
 The snake charmer at Snake Oasis is an immigration official at Dubai International Airport and has been rearing these snakes as a hobby for the past 11 years; his expertise will enable visitors to learn about the characteristic features and living habits of several species of snakes until July 20.
 
 Saeed Nabooda, from the DSS Organising Committee said: “The ‘Snake Oasis’ has been a regular feature of DSS for four years now and we thought Ibn Battuta Mall would be the ideal location, considering the amount of visitors the mall has been attracting over the past few months.
 
 “Snakes have always been a fascination for people around the world, there is an element of mystique that surrounds these reptiles and this partly explains the reason why more than 5,000 people have already visited the ‘Snake Oasis’. Visitors have the chance to learn more about the snakes’ eating and living habits and more importantly they can get rid of their fears by actually holding the snakes in their hands. “
 
 The Ibn Battuta Mall is a Key Sponsor of Dubai Summer Surprises 2005 and will continue to host a wide and diverse range of activities throughout the 73-day festival. Visitors to the mall also have an opportunity to win major cash sums and exciting prizes throughout the duration of DSS 2005. The ‘Strike It Rich – Win Up to AED 3 Million’ joint promotion with the Dubai Shopping Malls Group (DSMG) boasts the highest ever prize money offered by DSMG to date and includes the chance to win the grand prize of AED 1 million, a luxurious home at Jumeirah Beach Residence and a Toyota Land Cruiser.
 
  Moreover visitors can win a weekly prize of AED 50,000, preloaded onto a Mashreq Bank Mastercard.