Snake farmer wows Taibah students
IT is one of the most poisonous snakes, causing a person to die within hours.
By Herbert Ssempogo
IT is one of the most poisonous snakes, causing a person to die within hours.
But on Wednesday morning, snake hunter and farmer, Yasin Kazibwe, effortlessly handled a green mamba, locally known as Temankima, at Taibah College School in Entebbe.
The snake, about a metrelong, was seen slithering in a park, a few metres from the school after Robert, a gardener, roused it from its nook.
The head teacher, Oskar Ssemweya Musoke, immediately called Kazibwe, who found the snake had taken refuge on the branch of a palm tree.
“He asked us whether we did not mind cutting down the tree on which the snake was,†Eddie Lukwago, a science teacher, said.
Kazibwe, the owner of the Uganda Reptile Village in Entebbe, then embarked on his daring act. He gently picked up the snake using a stick with prongs and caressed the back of its neck, before hoisting it into the air.
Curious students and workers, who gathered around him, cheered as he held its tail before wrapping it around his neck. A few daring ones touched the snake, which had been subdued. Like the late Australian crocodile hunter, Steven Irwin, Kazibwe demonstrated how the snake deploys and retracts its fangs that contain venom.
He advised the students to run whenever they see a snake, adding that snakes have poor vision but rely on vibrations made by people.
Kazibwe handed the snake to the Uganda Wildlife Education Centre chief, Dr. Andrew Sseguya, at Entebbe.
Gloria Mukami, a student, who had seen large snakes at a park in Kenya, was awed by his skill.
“Kazibwe told us that snakes only bite when they are attacked,†she said.
Kim Ssebuliba, a Senior Five student, argued that snakes eat rats, thus there was need to protect them.
“The environment would be affected if we killed them all,†she stressed.
She expressed disappointment that a python (green mamba), which killed a goat, was recently beaten to death.
According to Cindy Obath, a student leader, Kazibwe’s demonstration was a good lesson on snakes, which she said were importants components of the ecosystem.
“I learnt that they are the second most dangerous snakes. He advised us to keep away from snakes and to keep our compounds free of bushes,†she said.
IT is one of the most poisonous snakes, causing a person to die within hours.
But on Wednesday morning, snake hunter and farmer, Yasin Kazibwe, effortlessly handled a green mamba, locally known as Temankima, at Taibah College School in Entebbe.
The snake, about a metrelong, was seen slithering in a park, a few metres from the school after Robert, a gardener, roused it from its nook.
The head teacher, Oskar Ssemweya Musoke, immediately called Kazibwe, who found the snake had taken refuge on the branch of a palm tree.
“He asked us whether we did not mind cutting down the tree on which the snake was,†Eddie Lukwago, a science teacher, said.
Kazibwe, the owner of the Uganda Reptile Village in Entebbe, then embarked on his daring act. He gently picked up the snake using a stick with prongs and caressed the back of its neck, before hoisting it into the air.
Curious students and workers, who gathered around him, cheered as he held its tail before wrapping it around his neck. A few daring ones touched the snake, which had been subdued. Like the late Australian crocodile hunter, Steven Irwin, Kazibwe demonstrated how the snake deploys and retracts its fangs that contain venom.
He advised the students to run whenever they see a snake, adding that snakes have poor vision but rely on vibrations made by people.
Kazibwe handed the snake to the Uganda Wildlife Education Centre chief, Dr. Andrew Sseguya, at Entebbe.
Gloria Mukami, a student, who had seen large snakes at a park in Kenya, was awed by his skill.
“Kazibwe told us that snakes only bite when they are attacked,†she said.
Kim Ssebuliba, a Senior Five student, argued that snakes eat rats, thus there was need to protect them.
“The environment would be affected if we killed them all,†she stressed.
She expressed disappointment that a python (green mamba), which killed a goat, was recently beaten to death.
According to Cindy Obath, a student leader, Kazibwe’s demonstration was a good lesson on snakes, which she said were importants components of the ecosystem.
“I learnt that they are the second most dangerous snakes. He advised us to keep away from snakes and to keep our compounds free of bushes,†she said.