This Dassierand family is extremely passionate about snakes

If you’re scared of snakes, fear not; the Lengwasa family from Dassierand is here to teach you how to make friends with them.

From as young as 10 years old, Collen Lengwasa (40), who is originally from Mmakau village, developed a great interest in snakes. He went as far as learning the differences between the various kinds of snakes.

“When I was growing up in the village, there wasn’t much to do to keep entertained like the kids of today,” he said. “It was during my trips to the mountain for essentials for the family that I realised my love for nature.”

Collen says it was also during that time that he noticed that his elders respected snakes. “My father was good with animals and my mother with herbs, so I naturally gravitated towards nature,” he explained.

Luckily for Collen, he met his wife, Lidia Baptista-Lengwasa (36), who is now equally passionate about snakes. But it wasn’t always like that.“The first time he told me about his interest, I thought he was joking.

Then I noticed the extensive research he was doing on these species and I wanted to do a course. We owned our first snake in 2018,” she said. It was terrifying at first, but now the couple and their 11-year-old son, Rogero, live with 14 snakes ranging from a Cape cobra to a nine-metre albino reticulated python.

“People’s initial reaction to finding out is often judgement, which is understandable because snakes are generally feared and associated with witchcraft,” Lidia said.
“It took time for my husband to convince me, but the more I got to know about them, the more I realised that not all of them are a threat,” she explained.

Their son is also very knowledgeable about the species and he can identify them from a mile away. The family has also teamed up with rescue institutions where they assist snakes that are either ill or injured.
“Snakes are friendly, but when maintaining contact with them, you have to be cautious at all times. They can bite you at any moment,” Collen explained.

Now that it’s summertime, Collen warns people to keep safe at all times. “Snakes are commonly seen in summer and they hide in places you wouldn’t expect to keep warm,” he said. “They are attracted to dark and neglected areas like an engine, tyres or piles of rubbish. Most snakes feed on lizards, rodents, frogs and toads and are attracted to gardens where these creatures live.”

The Lengwasa family advise people to keep children and pets away if they see a snake. If the snake is in the house and you are comfortable with the idea, throw a duvet over it and contact a snake remover near you. The snake normally stays curled up under the duvet until uncovered.

What to do if you see a snake:

• Don’t panic, snakes can sense fear
• Don’t try and kill it
• Try and stay as far away from it as you can. This will reduce your chances of being bitten
• Don’t touch it if it looks dead. Many snakes pretend to be dead when they are scared
• If you are bitten, keep calm and go to a hospital as soon as possible. If possible, also take a photograph of the snake.