You might wonder what the purpose of a fly, tick, mosquito or snake is, but on World Snake Day we are reminded exactly why.

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Today, July 16, encourages snake awareness, and snake safety and in support of this, Chris Hobkirk, a Mpumalanga Tourism and Parks Agency (MTPA) worker and director of Lowveld Venom Suppliers, shared his view on the importance of snakes.

“Twenty-two years ago there were no reptile recovery services in the Lowveld and with 60% of snake species in the country coexisting in Mpumalanga, I saw an opportunity to help and train volunteers to remove snakes and other reptiles safely from homes, ” Hobkirk explained.

He started working at the MTPA in 2005 and is a well-known snake catcher.

“Snakes are vital for natural biodiversity systems to keep rodents away, and play a key part in the food chain.”

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People have a lot of misconceptions about snakes, but without them there could be an increase in rodent populations, leading to potential problems like crop damage, and increased disease transmission.

“When you come across a snake, keep an eye on it before calling snake catchers, since they can move away quickly,” Hobkirk shared. He also encouraged people to respect these reptiles and not provoke them.

There are about 4 000 snake bites reported annually and after a shortage of antivenom was reported by the South African Vaccine Producers during Covid, there is enough anti-venom for this next season.