With The Rains, Snakes Come Out To Play!

Snakes are very active during the rainy season as the moist/wet ground forces, not just them, but their prey out into the open. This is a time of increased activity for the reptiles, as the weather is humid and food is easily found.

During a recent visit to Rwakobo Rock in Lake Mburo National Park, Kiruhura district, a team of snake experts discovered that the lodge has had a number of snake sightings. This is a concern since the tourist lodge is balancing eco-diversity and eco-tourism for its guests.

Nicholas Nabasa, the lodge’s manager, says they do not want to kill the snakes but the team wants to learn how to safely relocate them back to the bush, should they wander into the rooms or common area.

Rwakobo Rock lodge is located within the park, which is the natural habitat of the snakes. We love the snakes and we want to see them co-exist with our guests, safely. We encourage our guests and workers not to kill them, that is why we have invited Herp Fauna Foundation to come and teach us how to safely handle snakes, Nabasa says.

Herp Fauna Foundation specialises in snake management and carries out seminars and workshops for staff in safely handling snakes.

Mukasa (right) showing the staff at Rwakobo Lodge, the difference between a venomous and a non-venomous snake.

Lake Mburo park has a number of snake species, which include Gaboon Vipers, Puff Adders, Night Adders and Black Mamba, one of the deadliest. The area is rich in food for the snakes, ranging from birds, frogs, rats and lizards.

Emmanuel Mukasa, the head of Herp Fauna, notes that snakes are generally non combative. They try to stay away from humans because we are not their prey. However, when threatened and if they cannot escape, they will strike back and this can be deadly.

Mukasa notes that one of the biggest draw backs is lack of antivenom. Most of the available anitvenom is from India and yet, snakes from India are different from Uganda. Every region has got its own snakes and its from these that antivenom is made. In most cases, antivenom from Indias snakes will not treat a snake bite from Ugandas snakes.

However, he insists that no one should engage in handling snakes unless they absolutely have to, and should contact an expert, especially since many people are unable to differentiate between a venomous and nonvenomous snake. He advises proprietors in the leisure industry, which includes lodges, hotels and game parks to train their workers in snake bite management and safety.

Nabasa notes that most people in the area, including his staff, automatically choose to kill a snake once they see it, which is wrong. He says one of the biggest draws for the tourists who sleep at the lodge is the possibility of seeing a Puff Adder or a black Mamba in their habitat. Nabasa adds that killing them off will not only deny visitors from experiencing this, but also alter the eco system since snakes control the populations of other creatures and help to maintain balance in the ecoystem.