There will be more than just puppies and hamsters to talk about when students return from the UTAR flea market thanks to exotic pet breeder, David Chiang Chee Yuen.

Chiang, 29, drove all the way from Penang to join the flea market with his own exhibition of live tarantulas and scorpions following his brother’s suggestion. Chiang’s younger brother is a second year Journalism student in UTAR.

It all started as a hobby before it turned into a passion for creatures that people would not normally keep as pets. Chiang was selling slings (tiny tarantulas) for RM25-RM30 each while the bigger ones were mostly for display only.

However, to Chiang, it was not about the money.

“My main idea of joining this exhibition is so that I can educate people that tarantulas are not as dangerous as commonly perceived. Most tarantulas do not contain venom that is deadly enough to kill a person.”

Chiang said that tarantulas are easy to manage as they do not make noise and can survive without food for one to two weeks.

“All you need to do is clean their cage and feed them. You also don’t need a lot of space to keep a tarantula or a scorpion.” Chiang added that these uncommon pets feed on crickets.

Asked if he had any advice for amateur breeders, Chiang said that it is best to avoid direct contact with the creepy-crawlies.

“A tarantula is still venomous and capable of hurting you. It’s best for beginners to observe their pet’s behaviour while it is confined in a cage. If you don’t know better, you might accidentally agitate your tarantula.”

Along with several friends, Chiang set up a Facebook page, Onestop Arachnids, to show his collection of exotic pets which includes the usual tarantulas, scorpions as well as certain reptiles. Only a small part of this huge collection is up for sale for those who are interested.

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A middle-aged couple wearing matching yellow t-shirts, blasting off Thai music and proudly displaying the Thailand national flag at their booth was definitely not a common sight amidst the hustle and bustle of the flea market.

Ngan Mun Wai, 40, is a UTAR staff from the Department of International Student Services. Together with  his wife, 38 year-old Kunlayanee Seedapeng, they set up a stall dedicated to selling Thai food stuff.

“We wanted to share with people the taste of authentic Thai food.” said Ngan, adding with a laugh that he drove all the way back to Thailand with his wife to get the food supply.