Saturday 18 June 2016

Snakes alive!

 Happy House kids entered the slithering world of snakes when they made a visit to the Snake Farm in Watamu.
Bio-Ken Snake Farm houses the largest collection of snakes in East Africa and is also a research centre offering snake removal and snake bite anti-venom services.
Mama arranged the visit for all the kids who went in three groups, 45 minutes apart.
And how the kids and their teachers enjoyed it.
Mama says: " The guides were very informative about the different types of snakes, telling them which are harmless and which are poisonous, what they eat, where they live etc. "They also explained what  you should do if you find a snake. 
"iAt the Happy House, we have already called them five or six times to come and take snakes that we have found.
"A visit ti the Snake Farm usually costs 500/- per child, but  due to the work we do in the community we were told  there would be no charge, but if we would make a donation as they too are a Foundation and rely on the kindness of others.
" They are really trying to educate many communities about the right and wrong way to deal with snakes and the bites, many of which are not life threatening but still need treatment. "The money is used for antidotes. If a local person is bitten, which seems often in the fields they will go immediately and administer the much needed medicine.
" We were told what to do if you are bitten - with the emphasis on not running, staying as calm as possible and calling for help immediately.
"He said people try to cut out the bite thinking they will get the venom out,  by the time they see the people they have to treat the infections with being cut with dirty knives as well as the bite itself.
"And being able to identify a snake could save a life in the future."
The guides were happy to answer questions and everyone had a really enjoyable time."