Teaching snake safety to kids
Thabazimbi – Some families are able to name their favourite snake. For the Van Breda family, this is not unusual as every member of their family has a favourite snake to mention.
In an interview with Platinum Bushvelder, snake enthusiast Jaco van Breda (12) shared some useful information regarding snakes.
Jaco van Breda knows quite a bit about snakes. According to his mother, Windi van Breda, Jaco was barely a year old when he held his first snake. Jaco was taught about snake safety from a very young age, and his favourite snake is a python. He is able to identify different snakes and can clearly differentiate between venomous and non-venomous snakes.
Jaco explained that if you are in the veld, it’s always wise to use a long stick to clear the grass ahead of you. Most snakes are naturally shy, and movement drives them away—or at the very least enables the snake to give you a warning before striking.
If the snake bites the stick, the chances of the snake biting you decrease. After biting the stick, the snake could also give you a dry bite as it has already used its batch of venom for the initial bite. Jaco also shared some tips on identifying a snake that displays threatened behaviour. “Most snakes roll up and pull their heads back. The cobra increases the size of its head, and a puff adder hisses at you,” he explained.
Jaco also knows the protocol for handling a snake bite. “You should never try to suck out the poison. This will not help the person and you will also have poison in your mouth,” said Jaco. Instead, Jaco advises that if you are bitten, it’s best to try and take a photo of the snake, or at least look for distinct markings on its body that will help to identify the snake.
“A description of the snake will help to identify it, this helps doctors to give the right anti-venom,” added Jaco. According to Jaco, snakes play a very important role in nature. If we didn’t have snakes, rodents would take over, which means that they would spread their diseases and even damage crops. The best advice Jaco has for youngsters is for them to be educated on different types of snakes and their behaviour. “The more you know, the less reason there is to be scared.”
Jaco’s interest in snakes runs in the family. His grandfather, Peet van Breda taught Jaco’s dad, Petrus van Breda, everything he knows, and Peet went on to share his knowledge with Jaco.
Although Jaco is very comfortable around snakes, Petrus makes sure that his son understands to remain cautious. When it comes to teaching kids about snake safety Petrus, the owner of Reptile Inc.—a snake park in Thabazimbi—shared a few tips. “Kids are always curious so it’s important that we teach kids to always be careful around snakes,” Petrus warned.
He added that parents should teach kids that if they see a snake, they should never try to catch it or kill it themselves. The best option is to make sure that kids understand to keep a safe distance of at least 5 m and call for an adult to assist. Petrus also warns that snakes tend to get very active during this time of year as their metabolisms start to increase and they start looking for food before the winter.
Prevention is better than cure. Be alert and gain as much knowledge about your local snakes as possible. If you are faced with a snake problem, or if you would like to organise an educational outing at Reptile Inc. contact Petrus van Breda on 079 897 5611.
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