Bulgarian Town Hires Snake Hunter
In a small Bulgarian municipality called Harmanli, a new employee has joined the team. Instead of filling paperwork behind a desk or welcoming visitors at the reception, their job will involve hunting snakes. The Mayor tells all about this unusual position.
The snake hunter, named Vladimir Gochev, will work seasonally. As spring arrives, he'll track down the slithering reptiles emerging from their winter hideouts.
The reason behind this move is the increasing sightings of snakes on the streets and properties of Harmanli's residents over the past year. Hence, Mayor Maria Kirkova decided to contract Vladimir Gochev, an officially licensed snake hunter.
The service will be available to all settlements within the municipality, and residents can call upon the snake catcher, who will come and remove the animal free of charge as part of his duties. It's noted that the hunter won't kill the snakes but will capture and release them in a remote, uninhabited area.
Nevertheless, experts advise Harmanli's residents to avoid tall grass and bushes. If they encounter a snake, it's best to avoid touching it and remain calm, allowing the creature to go on its way undisturbed.
In other news, The Gaze reported on a three-day international project seminar held at the palace complex in Balchik, Bulgaria. It brought together architects from five countries to collaborate on educational exchange and preservation of immovable cultural heritage.
Leading this initiative are the Paris School of Chaillot and the National Institute of Immovable Cultural Heritage (NIICH) of Bulgaria, with support from the Ministries of Culture of Bulgaria and France, French institutions, and ICOMOS France.
Plans include creating an educational cycle and network of experts in Bulgaria, Romania, Moldova, and Ukraine, who will work together on joint projects in the future. This was shared by Delphine Aboulker, Deputy Director of Ecole de Chaillot - Paris.
She added that the initiative hopes to involve North Macedonia, Serbia, Croatia, Cyprus, Montenegro, Albania, and Turkey in the future. She and her colleagues presented several restoration projects and teaching methods for the 137-year-old French school.