Call a snake catcher, don’t kill

A Namibian snake expert and rescuer warns that with the increased presence of snakes in urban areas due to the drought, it is critical that people contact professionals instead of trying to catch or kill the snakes themselves.
“It is normal for people to kill snakes out of fear and misunderstanding”, he says, but warns that about 50% of all snakebites occur when people handle snakes themselves instead of calling for professional help.
“It is safer for the person and the animal,” says Francois Theart, dubbed the ‘Snake Whisperer’, who has rescued and relocated thousands of snakes.
Theart says the drought has led to snakes invading towns, especially Windhoek where he does most of his work.
“There is no food or water in the bush and this causes rodents, the main prey of snakes, to move towards human habitat. The snakes follow their prey and this is where the conflict starts.”
Statistics collected by him show that in periods of normal to above-normal rainfall, he catches 80 to 100 snakes a season.
Over the course of the past two seasons (22 months) he has rescued and relocated close to 400 snakes in the greater Windhoek area.
Part of Theart’s mission is to improve understanding of snakes and to assuage the myriad of myths surrounding them.
He points out that a common myth is that snakes chase people.
“In my ten years of catching some of Africa’s deadliest snakes, including the black mamba, I have never been chased by a snake.”
Another common myth is that snakes move in pairs, which is untrue.
“It is highly unlikely that you will find a second one close by,” he says.
He says one way to overcome a fear of snakes is to learn about them and their behaviour, through books, the internet and social media platforms, including the ‘Snakes of Namibia’ group on Facebook, which are filled with information and educational materials.
Theart’s love for these reptiles, which he describes as “magnificent yet misunderstood” began at an early age, when he “realised that no one in Namibia is doing something to conserve these animals, so I made it my goal to educate the public about the importance of snakes.”
He says he would like to teach the general public “that snakes are not evil animals that are out there to get you. They play an important function in our ecosystem as well as in the medicinal field”.
Theart says snakes are very important to us as they keep a healthy balance in the ecosystem. They feed on pests, such as rodents, and as a result, they combat the spread of diseases carried by pest species.
Snakes also form part of the diet of various other animal species, and by “taking the snakes out, the entire ecosystem will collapse”.
Furthermore, snake venom is used to produce a variety of medicines, including pain medication, anti-clotting medication and heart medication.
“Without these misunderstood animals we might never find a cure for cancer, HIV or Parkinson’s disease,” he says, emphasising the importance of conserving them and relocating instead of killing them when anyone crosses paths with them.
Every snake he rescues is measured and weighed, and their GPS co-ordinates and environmental readings are captured on a data base.
Most of the rescued snakes are released on a reserve outside Windhoek, away from people.
The most common snake species in the Windhoek area include the puff adder and zebra snake, both venomous, and the brown house snake, which is completely harmless.
Theart says the puff adder and zebra snake “should be left alone at all costs” and the brown house snake has no venom and poses no risk at all.
Call Francois Theart at 081 290 0343 (all hours) if you cross paths with a snake. Join the Snakes of Namibia Facebook page for more snake catcher numbers and further information on what to do when you encounter snakes, or to learn more about the world of these reptiles.
JANA-MARI SMITH