Ouidah is the town in Benin Republic where pythons are worshipped. Legend has it that back in the 1700s when the town was at war, the king fled into the forest to seek refuge. Mysteriously, the Pythons came to his protection against the enemies. Since then, the people of this town have worshipped Pythons, housing them in the Temple of Pythons. Ouidah also has an interesting history of slavery, with over 1 Million slaves sold from this town during the transatlantic slave era.
The snakes in this town are considered sacred and no one is allowed to hurt them. They are often released into the town where they go in search of their own food. The residents of the town welcome them into their homes and they even lay eggs in these residents' houses. The new born snakes from the eggs are brought back to the temple.