You can’t fail to notice it upon entering Protagoras’ room: this association has a thing for snakes. There’s a snake stuffed animal draped over a computer and a soldered snake stands on top of a terrarium, in which a Red Corn snake can be seen sliding through woodchips. When the door opens, he enthusiastically leaves his cage. Bouzo, the association’s mascot, loves to cuddle.

Perhaps not very surprising, since Bouzo is a constrictor. He wraps himself around the neck of Sofie van Aalst, whose turn it is this year to take care of the snake. She explains that he isn’t trying to strangle her, but that he uses his strong muscles to latch on to her. “He isn’t strong enough to strangle me. And he doesn’t consider me a prey – I hope”

Interestingly, Van Aalst, like many of her fellow Protagoras members, is younger than 21-year-old Bouzo. A former board member brought the snake with him from his student house years ago and gave him a new home at the association. Each year, a new committee takes on the care responsibilities. Another committee is tasked with providing Bouzo with living mice, which he eats every week. And then there’s the unofficial MuisCie, which asks for a minute of silence during the General Meeting in remembrance of the devoured mice.

The fact that mice have to die to feed the snake doesn’t always sit well with Thomas Renders, who is also here today the attend Bouzo’s festive meal and who used to chair the committee. “But it’s a fascinating sight at the same time. It happens so fast. If you look away for just a few seconds, you’ve missed it.” Still, there are times when Bouzo doesn’t manage to catch his prey. “If the mice get too comfortable, they can even start gnawing away at him,” Renders says. They even had to keep a mouse in a cage at the office for two months one time because Bouzo wasn’t hungry. And the small rodents who managed to outsmart the snake even ended up living as pets in student houses.

Today, world animal day, Bouzo gets to eat a mouse again. And members are allowed to cuddle him. Bouzo has many fans, says Van Aalst, who also enjoys holding Bouzo. “I find it very cool to feel how powerful he is. And his skin feels very smooth, not slimy at all, as I used to think at first.” In principle, everyone is welcome to come and cuddle Bouzo, under the condition the one of the committee members is present. “The main reason is to make sure that he’s supported properly and that people don’t stroke in the opposite direction of the snake’s scales.” The snake doesn’t bite, nor is he poisonous, so she isn’t worried about that. Bouzo is actually quite relaxed and sweet, she concludes. Renders agrees. “If you look at his head, you’ll see that his eyes are surprisingly big, which gives him very cute appearance. I actually really like that.”