17 Jul 2024

Snakes could be very good neighbours to people by controlling pests, contributing to biodiversity and providing venom for research and curing ailments, says Mr Oarabile Monyemana, the conservation manager at Mokolodi Nature Reserve.

Speaking in an interview to mark commemoration of World Snake Day at the nature reserve on July 16, Mr Monyemana said reptiles were often misunderstood and feared, but they played a critical role in maintaining ecological balance.

The snake day was established to educate communities about snakes ecological roles and to dispel myths about them while promoting their conservation.

Mr Monyemana emphasised the critical role snakes played in the environment and ecosystem as well as their contribution to biodiversity.

He said their primary role was that of predators, and that they helped to control the population of their prey, which included rodents, insects and small creatures, adding that it preserved the health of the environment and reduced chances of disease outbreaks.

He also noted that there were venomous and non venomous snakes, but that many Batswana could not distinguish the two. 

He said despite their danger to humans, venomous snakes have contributed to medical advancements and that their venom had been used to develop various medicines, including anticoagulants and for the treatment of high blood pressure.

He said they sought to create awareness about the importance of snakes by hosting snake tours and talks as well as demonstrations of the different snake species at their reptile park. 

He also expressed concern that humans were encroaching on the natural habitat of snakes. 

“That alone disperses snakes and they get lost in the process,” he said, adding that they had snake handlers to remove them from human congested areas.

He noted that school going pupils were their target on educating about the importance of reptiles with focus on snakes.

The reptile park assistant and professional snake handler, Mr Masibi Ikgopoleng said it was critical to coexist with snakes and advised communities to contact them to safely handle encounters. 

He also said there were more than 86 species and sub species of snakes in the country and that mambas, cobras, twig snakes and puff adder were some of the deadliest. 

Mr Ikgopoleng, who fell in love with the slithering creatures at a tender age of 10, has miraculously survived a ferocious deadly bite of a black mamba in 2020. Ends