Cebu City Zoo in the Philippines offering python massages

CEBU CITY , Philippines, May 27 (UPI) -- A zoo in the Philippines has started offering visitors the chance to receive a relaxing 15-minute massage from its four Burmese pythons that it currently has in captivity.

The Cebu City Zoo's pythons - Michelle, Walter, EJ and Daniel – are supposedly fed 10 or more chickens before giving out the massages so they won't be tempted to snack on the guests.

During the "therapeutic and calming" massages, zookeepers keep watch as the snakes slither back and forth across a bamboo bed.

Once the snakes are put on, it's virtually impossible to escape because they weigh about 550 pounds combined.

"I had to lie on my back on a bamboo daybed in the open air. I was briefed on what to do and what not to do during the massage," volunteer Ian Maclean told the Daily Mail.

"These instructions are crucial, as you can imagine. They tell you not to blow air on the snake, because this is like being pinched on the bum, apparently. You can't shout for help as the snake can feel your vibrations and thinks you're prey or a predator, depending on the environment."