“I love our new uniforms. When you look good, you gain a lot of confidence in what you do. We look so professional in them and a lot of people have given their compliments.”
These rules apply to most jobs, but these are the words of Mary Mumbi, and Mary does not have your run-of-the-mill corporate office job. As a Snake Handler at the Watamu Snake Farm, her day-to-day work involves dealing with some of the world’s most venomous snakes. Handling such reptiles is no simple endeavour: it is one that requires specialist gear and suitable clothing. Whilst some can appear sluggish in their movements, many snakes, if aggravated or threatened, can strike an impressive distance at lightning speed, seemingly swivelling their necks on a sixpence with mouth and fangs at the end of them.
Whilst the wilds of Australia harbour the world’s most venomous snake, the inland taipan, Africa – and indeed Kenya itself – has an assortment of potent contenders for the title. Black mambas, Eastern green mambas, boomslangs and the stubborn puff adder all top the list here. If they do encounter people, clashes can prove deadly for both involved.
Despite this, there remains a global shortage of antivenoms – especially when it comes to the African species. Around the world, snakebites can not only cause significant health issues, but they can also have serious economic implications, particularly for individuals that can’t afford full treatment. Health concerns aside, this is another reason why the Taylor Ashe Antivenom Foundation (TAAF) hopes to find itself at the forefront of providing venom for research and, in the near future, for the manufacture of crucial anti-venoms.
Of course, preventing bites from happening in the first place remains a better option. This is where the Farm is really starting to shine. By focusing on carrying out simple yet cost-effective solutions through education and community engagement, teaching people likely to encounter venomous snakes about how to deal with them and their bites, including first aid, TAAF aims to substantially reduce the dangers of human-snake conflict.
To this end, during 2023, TAAF expanded its training courses to include rangers from Mara North, Lewa Wildlife and Loisaba Conservancies, in addition to the Naibosho and the Kijabe Forest Trust. And in 2024, TAAF has been collaborating with a training organisation, LEAD, to incorporate even more rangers into the programme.
Up to September 2024, the Foundation had already implemented 22 snake-awareness training courses, including community days, with eight more courses expected to occur before the end of the year. The team expects to have reached more than 1,000 people in total through 2024’s courses. In addition, four of Big Life Foundation’s rangers were hosted for five days, while one ranger from Lewa was hosted for six weeks, to learn more about snakes and snakebites. TAAF expects that these rangers will then, in turn, be able to facilitate their own in-house training programmes with their colleagues and affiliates.
As for how this has benefited the slithery critters themselves, Adrian Paul of Lewa has noticed some remarkable developments:
“We have seen an incredible change in perception towards snakes from our rangers and staff in general. Whereas most snakes used to be killed on site, and none were translocated, all snakes that are seen near human habitation are now treated with respect and carefully moved to a safer place. In fact, it is now a mission to reduce the amount of people who want to be involved in a translocation rather than battle to find participants.”
Furthermore, whenever reptiles have found themselves in a spot of bother (i.e. in someone’s house or garden), neighbours of the Farm have contacted TAAF requesting that the animals be removed, rather than destroyed. By September 2024, 84 callouts had been attended to by the team with 50 venomous, 18 mildly venomous and 16 harmless snakes safely retrieved.
So, how has ForRangers contributed this year?
Given the warm and humid climate of Kenya’s coastline, TAAF approached ForRangers asking for: a new set of uniforms for its staff; medical insurance for 12 team members (important given the nature of their work); motorbike helmets for callouts; and various forms of staff training, including driving lessons, bi-weekly CrossFit sessions and even Italian lessons to aid engagement with the Farm’s visitors.
All the objectives of this grant have since been met, and managers have noticed a subsequent increase in confidence, pride, organisational culture and morale amongst the team.
In conjunction with the staff uniform initiative, insurance and training initiatives, the team has changed the look of the Farm’s reptile enclosures, signage, gardens, pathways and built a shop complete with reception. New enclosures have been built, with tall ones for tree-climbing species and long ones for the ground-dwelling species, whilst displays line the paths for schoolchildren to interact with, whether it be about the crocodiles of Kenya or the “wild world of reptiles”. These improvements have collectively elevated the overall appearance and visitor experience of the Snake Farm.
Mary Mumbi continued to say:
“I am very proud [to be] working at the Watamu Snake Farm. Thank you so much for all the support you give!”
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