10 Dec 2019

Human beings are known to befriend domesticated animals as dogs and cats, calling them pets, but it baffles mind when animals considered to be dangerous as snakes, hyenas and lions are kept as pets without taming them.

In fact, the genesis of an enmity between man and some of these animals cannot be easily traced to any event in particular, but the long held views about snakes can be de-mystified at least according to retired Major Lekgathanye Sanoto of Different Animal Park.

He believes humans can live harmoniously with wild animals without killing them so long as they know their pattern of behaviour.

In many held beliefs, especially among some Batswana, these animals have personified human vices and virtuous characteristics that some people shun. For example, a snake personifies a sly or treacherous person, especially one who exploits a position of trust in order to betray it.

However, Maj. Sanoto views snakes as a subject worth learning about because, in his experience, the reptiles too feared humans and the meeting between the two would purely be coincidental.

The 61-year-old Rtd Maj. Sanoto, owner of the park, 35km from Bobonong en route to Sefhophe, is passionate about animals in general, but his love for the scaled reptiles was honed during his days at the army barracks when he was charged with custodianship of serpents.

In fact, he reveals that he is one of the pioneers of Snake Park at BDF barracks. Whilst at the BDF he benchmarked at places such as Johannesburg and Pretoria zoos.

Following his retirement from the army, Maj. Sanoto has been persistently fighting for his dream project that was preconceived before his retirement. Maj. Sanoto embodies patience and he is a mark of persistence, at least according to his narration of the history of the park.

Ever since conceiving his idea, he asserts, he has been warding off numerous challenges to pave way for his desired park.

He finally won his marathon battle against struggles in 2010.

However, the win against his battle for land constituted less than quarter of his needs that ranged from the required plot size, acquiring licenses for animals inter alia. Nonetheless, he soldiered against the worst of terrains, packing in gallons of patience in the process.

Unfettered desire to see his idea turn into a fully-fledged project saw him endure the long processes where he was initially allocated just four hectares against the 25 hectares he sought.

However, like an army officer he soldiered on to electrify his park and open avenues for other developments. It was only in 2010 that he was allocated the plot after fighting tooth and nail to get the project going following his retirement from the army in 2007.

The 25 hectare park is home to amongst other things various snakes, springboks, hyenas and ostriches. On arrival at the park, one is greeted by the snake park, decorations of which embodies the serpents that have been wildly misconstrued or misconceived to be all poisonous and therefore dangerous.

Maj. Sanoto concedes that he has not tamed his snakes. The venomous ones remain as they are when they were captured from various localities after people reported them to him.

These are the snakes that terrified people at their ploughing fields.

Inside the snake park are various information boards about the captured snakes and the rules of engagement against the wildly feared reptiles.

Posted on the Egyptian cobra cubicle is information notifying visitors that the cobra ‘possesses deadly venom that attacks the nervous system (neurotoxic venom).’

“The victim will have problem with vision, difficulty in swallowing and speaking, difficulty in breathing and vomiting,” read part of the warning on the outside of the cubicle further detailing that all these could effect within 30 minutes of snake bite.

It is against some of the above-mentioned dangers and the perceived ones that Maj. Sanoto felt compulsion to impart his snake handling experience with the people in his area and beyond to supplement the little truth they could be in possession of.

Over and above, the Different Animal Park owner realised a gap that needed to be filled during his army days.

He found that only learners from places surrounding Gaborone benefited from snake park in Gaborone because those from afar always found the park fully booked during school trips.

Inside the snake park there is also a python and other snake species.

Just a stone throw from the snake park is a caged spotted hyena which lives a lonely life.

 After the hyena cage is the lion’s den which is yet to be occupied since the owner awaits inspection of the cage from the authorities.

As we went about our chat about the Animal Park, a male ostrich roars inside the lion’s den. That quickly turned our attention to the majestic, black and white bird. It is supposed to be accompanied by a female which apparently is ‘a sister’. The sister irks the male since they cannot mate and reproduce. In fact, Maj. Sanoto explains that the male avoids the female at all costs.

There are also about four springboks within the park that live peacefully with the ostriches even though, according to Maj. Sanoto, the male ostrich once kicked to death a springbok.

Maj. Sanoto wants to expand the park so it could be home to various animal species especially carnivores as wolves, wild dogs and others.

He’s contemplating a financial backer since he has almost depleted his funds from personal savings and requires a cross pollination of ideas to develop the project.

The dream is to see a park that would be a beacon to tourists in Bobirwa and beyond, offering a variety of products and services at reasonable fees.

Currently an entrance fee into the park is P20. ENDS