KENILWORTH SNAKE TALK
The team at the Kenilworth Racecourse Conservation Area (KRCA), in partnership with the Friends of KRCA and Cape Snake Conservation hosted a snake talk recently. Thanks to Ismail Wambi, People and Conservation Officer at the KRCA, for this account of the event:
“Snakes are not there to bite people; they are out there trying to survive just like anything else on earth, and on this day, I can gladly say I have held one on my hands for the first time in my life.”
KRCA hosted a well attended snake talk on the evening of the 8th of February 2017. There was a turnout of 70 adults, including children who were intrigued by number of facts revolving around the general biology and general behaviour of snakes. After learning about the different kinds of venom and what damage they cause to the human body, most people were keen to be reminded about the do’s and dont’s, and who to call when one encounters a snake. The highlight of the evening was the evident change in perception and the willingness of facing a lifelong fear. Luckily, there was a wide variation of venomous and non-venomous snakes to help people to learn and identify the kinds of snakes they have never seen before, and to grant opportunity to those who dared to touch one for the first time.
The KRCA team is delighted to be able to host events of this nature. It is during these events that we are able to educate members of the public about conservation issues such as human-wildlife conflict, and we hope these small interventions do mitigate, and save keystone species from persecution.
