12 December 2023
MEDIA STATEMENT : DEPARTMENT CAUTIONS COMMUNITY ABOUT SNAKES
The Department of Agriculture, Environmental Affairs, Rural Development and Land Reform, is calling on communities to be vigilant to snakes in their surroundings.
The Department request communities to be alert as snakes are attracted to dark and neglected places and take refuge beneath various materials such as building rubble, firewood, compost heaps and grass, etc. Dripping taps, water features and fishponds attract frogs which may feed on them. Chicken and bird cages as well as rabbits will also attract snakes as the food provided for the livestock and pets often attract rodents which in turn are the main food source for most snakes.
Dense bushes also encourage arboreal (tree-living) snakes’ species to move in if sufficient food sources are available. If there are plants growing near or against windows, there is a greater chance that they can enter your home.
Some snakes including dangerous species like Puff Adders and Cobras are often attracted to human settlements due to the reasons provided above, but may go completely undetected. Others like the Coral Shield Cobra (Aspidelaps lubricus lubricus) may be seen following rains or at night when crossing roads.
The scotching heat also contributes to the presence of snakes surrounding human settlements as also they look for cooler places as they cannot regulate their own body heat. Snakes may also get transported unknowingly by delivery trucks transporting fresh produce, wood and building supplies from one area to another.
It is important to note that it is illegal to kill snakes in the Province as it is not permitted by the Northern Cape Nature Conservations Act. Snakes plays an important role in our ecosystems and even assists in terms of human health due to being great pest control agents and even to human health. The Department appeals to everyone to do the basics right (e.g. keeping yards clean, etc.) which will ensure that the chances of encountering a snake is limited. END
Mr Bongani Silingile – Media Liaison Officer
Office of the MEC
Department of Agriculture, Environmental Affairs,
Rural Development and Land Reform
Cell: 082 675 1841
Email:This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.
http://daerl.ncpg.gov.za/