Let’s face it, most of us have a deep desire to learn more about snakes, especially those who love venturing out on hikes. And once you spot that snake between the bushes, panic sets in immediately as you struggle to identify the type of snake on your path.
After that fateful encounter, you promise yourself that you’ll “learn more about how to identify different snakes”, but it never materialises, and the cycle continues.
Well, now you’ll be able to venture out into the forest like a boss, because the African Snakebite Institute has a great educational great that’ll answer all of those burning questions you might have.
The course starts at 9:00 sharp, but make sure to arrive a bit earlier to enjoy coffee and tea refreshments while the team signs you in.
They’ll be discussing snake awareness, biology and behaviour, myths, identification, basic first aid for snake bites, scorpion sting and spider bites, as well as medical treatment of snake bites. This session lasts around 3.5 hours, followed by a written test.
This is a full-day course with a tea break at around 10:45 and a lunch break at around 13:00 with a light lunch provided.
Then it gets really interesting… Everyone participating will go on to complete a practical snake handling session where they will be taught the safest protocols for safe snake removal. Snakes used for the handling session vary but we usually make use of the following species: Puff Adder, Mole Snake, Boomslang and Cape Cobra. Snake handling, depending on the group size, takes around 1½ – 2 hours.
The course usually concludes at around 16:00, but these are suggested times and may vary.
Date: Saturday – September 25, 2021
Venue: Exotic Animal World (Butterfly World) Klapmuts, Western Cape
Course fees:
- All course fees include coffee/tea refreshments and a light lunch. Snake Awareness/Scorpion Awareness and Venomous Snake Handling costs R 1 695 per person.
- Snake Awareness/Scorpion Awareness Only (no snake handling) costs R 1 035 per person.
Scholar’s Snake Awareness/Scorpion Awareness and Venomous Snake Handling costs R 1 200 per person. - Scholar’s Snake Awareness/Scorpion Awareness Only (no snake handling) costs R 595 per person. The Scholar’s rates apply to delegates under 18 years of age.
What to bring:
- Each person doing the Venomous Snake Handling should wear long trousers and closed shoes and are
advised to bring a hat. - Bring a pen and notepad (for those who wish to take notes). No prior studying or snake knowledge is necessary for the test and the format is multiple choice.
- The African Snakebite Institute will supply all equipment needed for delegates to use during the snake
handling session (hooks, tongs, buckets, and tubes).
Each person will receive a course certificate, First Aid for Snakebite booklet, Weatherproof snake poster, as
well as a full colour A3 Dangerous Snakes of Southern Africa poster.
The minimum age requirement for both the Awareness and the Handling course is 12 years of age.
Visit their website for more information.
Picture: Pixabay