Last updated at 17:04 28 November 2007

A seven-year old boy from Cambodia has a rather unusual best friend. Koun Samang has been spending time with his python, which now weighs 18 stone, since he was born.

They are the same age and have hardly been separated in their whole lives.

Most parents would be horrified to find their child curled up with such a creature but Samang's father, from the Kandal province, is happy for his son to play with the six-metre-long reptile.

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"My boy and the snake have been living very happily since he was born seven years ago. They are the same age," said Samang's father Koun Samol.

The snake is named Chomran, which means "lucky" in Khmer.

Samang spends his days playing with Chomran, hugging the snake and trying to teach it tricks.

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The snake "eats ten kilos of duck and chicken in one week", Koun Samol said.

Unlike most snakes in the area, Chomran does not eat rats or frogs, as its diet is similar to that of Samang.

The whole Koun clan believe the snake has brought them good luck and they treat it like a member of the family.