PROPER SNAKE HANDLING
The BOS Foundation recently collaborated with the Indonesian Snake Sioux Foundation to provide snake-handling training for the Post Release Monitoring (PRM) team members. As a result, the team’s perceptions of snakes changed.
Snakes will either spark curiosity or fear in people, the latter being the more common. This reaction is not without justification, as disturbed snakes will defend themselves against predators or threats like humans. Living in the middle of a forest, our Post-Release Monitoring (PRM) team members often come in contact with snakes.
-
- Snake handling – not everybody’s cup of tea…
-
- …but lifesaving for our PRM team
During their training at Camp Nles Mamse in the Kehje Sewen Forest, East Kalimantan, our team learned that snakes are classified into three groups based on the strength and type of their venom: neurotoxic, hemotoxic, and cytotoxic. There are snakes endemic to Indonesia from each of these groups, with weak or highly potent venom, such as cobras and vipers.
Approved and proud snake handlers
Identifying a snake species is critical for avoiding or handling snakes in the forest. During the training session, our PRM team members learned to recognise and safely handle snakes when required. The Trainers also explained how to treat snake bites properly and how to administer effective first aid to a snake bite victim.
Stay safe, team!
Would you like to support our work? Every donation makes a difference!
