When snakes become visitors

Nhlalwenhle Ngwenya . .
WHILE floods are the talk of almost every village, in towns the rains have brought snakes to peoplea��s living rooms.

In Bulawayo, suburbs such as Cowdray Park, Emganwini, Fourwinds and Nkulumane have been a�?invadeda�? by snakes as more reports of people finding snakes in their homes reach Zimbabwe National Parks and Wildlife Management Authority.

a�?Snakes leave their hibernation places when it becomes too cold or penetrated by water, forcing them to resort to warmer places they can find,a�? said Godfrey Mkuli the Bulawayo public relations assistant for Zimparks.

In the yard, there are some likely places for snakes to find a new home.

a�?Houses that keep a lot of rubbish are likely to be invaded by snakes as the junk and rubble are suitable alternative accommodation for snakes and eventually they end up getting into houses,a�? he said.

A snake specialist company, Chawaa��s Adventures said peoplea��s untidiness breeds a snakea��s environment.

a�?A change in human behaviour is to blame. People are not managing waste properly. Keeping and breeding poultry, poorly kept yards with long uncut grass, piles of building rubble, firewood and scrap metal attracts rats and mice which are the main diet for snakes,a�? reads their statement.

Recently a snake snuck into a cara��s bonnet in the city centre but Parks officials failed to remove it because they couldna��t locate the car owner. However, they warned people from killing snakes because it is a crime.

a�?We advise people to call 08010036, a toll free line whenever they see a snake so that we deal with it. If you kill a python which is an endangered specie thata��s a punishable offence with imprisonment,a�? he said.

The most popular snakes that have been rescued from homes are the poisonous cobras and puff adders which are later released to the wild.