Snakes.... Going on a safari to Africa, is something that is on most people's Bucket List. But very often, people have a fear of seeing snakes or walking into snakes, and this sometimes persuades them not to go on safari. Carina, one of our Sunway guides, says "My answer is that you will hardly see them and since they are also afraid of humans, they will pick up the vibrations of you walking close to them and they will move away before you are even aware that they were there. This is true and not just a story to keep everyone calm."
On my last tour it was proven to my group that there are indeed snakes around (in the summer months) and that it really is good advice when we say to walk at night with a torch so that you can shine it around and make sure you do not step on something or someone. It happened in our first night of the tour - we arrived in Kruger National Park and took a game drive to our lodge inside the park, where we settled into our tented accommodation. After everyone had settled in, we had dinner and afterwards sat around for the briefing and chatted about our adventure that had started and everything we were expecting to see and do the next day.
One of the questions asked was “Are we going to see any snakes?” and I answered as you read above. But little did we know that when we were finished the briefing and everyone was going to their tents that we would find a surprise! One of my guests walked up the steps to her tents and she shouted "Snake!". My colleague and fellow guide rushed over to see and keep everyone calm, while I rush in the opposite direction to the truck. This was not to hide, but to get my walking stick that I always carry with me (in case we see something that I have to remove out of a tight spot)... and since I have never found something to remove I was quite excited that I had finally got a chance and at long a last I could use it.
I got to the guest's door only to find the snake in front of it; it was a Tiger snake and had an exquisite orange body with black stripes over the back. One would think that it is a dangerous snake because of the bright colours, but this is part of its protection. It is only mildly venomous and really harmless to humans as it is rear-fanged. I removed the snake out of the area to some trees a good distance away and he was happy again not to be the centre of attention.
So yes, we have snakes in Africa but you do not see them that often and they are part of nature. We can however live with them in harmony and keep out of harm's way if we take the time to learn and understand these fascinating creatures. They are not out there to kill us deliberately so we should also be considerate of them and keep them safe, as we are intruders into their natural environment."
