Spotlight on snakes for World Snake Day
They’re shy, secretive and vital to the ecosystem – get to know Crocworld’s snakes and help protect these misunderstood reptiles.
World Snake Day was observed on Tuesday this week, with Crocworld Conservation Centre calling on the public to celebrate one of nature’s most misunderstood creatures.
“An important part of our conservation drive is educating the public about our wildlife and the care and protection they deserve for the benefit of all,” said Busani Mthiyane, animal curator at Crocworld Conservation Centre.
“Snakes are often the most feared creatures, which makes them more vulnerable. Because they’re so central to the health of our ecosystem, understanding and protecting them is vital.”
Contrary to popular belief, snakes are shy and secretive, avoiding humans whenever they can. They will usually only strike if threatened. Of the more than 3 000 species of snakes on earth, only about 200 are capable of harming humans.
Snakes have been around for nearly 100 million years, evolving from prehistoric lizards. They help maintain healthy ecosystems by controlling pests and balancing food chains – but they face threats from habitat loss, illegal wildlife trade and traditional medicine practices.
Crocworld plays an important role in local snake conservation through its breeding and rehabilitation work. The centre runs breeding programmes to help boost the genetic diversity of threatened species and has had several reptile successes to date.
One example is the Southern African rock python, listed as ‘vulnerable’ in the South African Red Data Book. Crocworld has bred six of these pythons, releasing three juveniles back into the wild at Zululand’s Babanango Game Reserve in partnership with FreeMe Wildlife.
Rock pythons help control dassie and cane rat populations, which is especially valuable to local farmers.
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