Globally, Nigeria has 3rd highest incidence of snakebites, 2nd in amputations from same with a Global Ranking at 19

Usually, it takes the visitation of tragedy on the household of the rich, popular, or a public figure for people to start asking questions possibly take actions.

I visited the page of the young lady Ifunanya and wept silently, not just for her loss but for the pains she went through before giving up.

If as the reports claim, she was attacked by Cobras ( a very unusual senerio as an amateur herpetologist), then she stood zero chance especially driving herself as the story claimed.

I won’t go into details on the possibility of two or three Cobras slithering within the confines of human habitation because information on that is quite hazy at the moment.

The main Cobra species prevalent in Nigeria are the Black-necked spitting cobra, the Egyptian cobra and the Mali cobra. They’re all dangerously venomous.

But a cobra bite is not a child’s play, it is one of the most efficient machines in nature. A single strike causes severe neurotoxicity that can lead to respiratory failure and death within 30 minutes to a few hours if untreated.

That’s why countries with high incidences of snake bites ensure clinics and hospitals have antivenoms in stock. I know some of you may not understand the main post but questions should be asked.

If we do not have the highest number of venomous snakes in Africa why do we have an unusually higher burden of snake bites?

If we claim that snake bites are natural occurrences how do humans in Australia cope with almost half the number of venomous snakes globally. How do Mexico with over 400 species of snakes manage to protect their people from such trespasses?

Australia has both highly poisonous and deadly venomous snakes.

We are not on the top 15 list of countries with large snakes population, yet our evenomation burden is so high that we are trying to compete with India, and Southern African countries with far more intrusive reptilian incidences have lesser cases of snake bites yet better access to health emergencies.

The major problem with Nigeria is not just that we don’t have the medical interventions to tackle the over 20,000 snake bites annually, but that that number is grossly unreported. And if not for the intervention of local medicine men using native herbs, the toll would have been more.

Our current national statistics on snake bites are about five years old, and if you know how these figures are gathered you’d agree with me that they’re probably from surveys of 10 years ago.

We already know that the states with the most cases of snakebite in the country are Gombe, Plateau, Adamawa, Bauchi, Borno, Nasarawa, Enugu, Kogi, Kebbi, Oyo, Benue and Taraba. Abuja is in the same perimeter with similar climatic conditions of the savannah.

What efforts have we made to focus on the provision of antivenoms across these states.

It is the absence of these basic health facilities that leads to preventable amputations. A country with a very high poverty burden engaging in the slashing of limbs of about 2500 people annually is an assembly line manufacturing of more poverty as those whose limbs are amputated are mostly rendered economically redundant.

What efforts are being made to integrate native medicines especially as regards snake and scorpion bites into the national health emergency system.

On how Africans, particularly Nigerians are losing sight of mocal remedies as cure, Kelechi Deka response was unapologetic. “I am a village boy and I saw, experienced and used native medicines both as deterrent and curative to snake bites. Unfortunately, many of those with the skillset are dying off.”

The available antivenom are mostly in tertiary institutions and a few specialist hospitals. Rural clinic don’t have, and those are the areas with major casualties. People always rely on local herb but the knowledge of the local herb is so limited.

Research Expert on snake bites and venoms, Dan Madu, explains how knowing what venom is needed to treat a particular snake bites is also critical to surviving it venom. “When I read about that singer who got bitten by a snake and the Hospital she was taken to didn’t have anti-venom, the reality is that there are 2 types of anti venom for snakes; polyvalent and monovalent. Polyvalent anti venom neutralises venom from multiple species of snakes, While the monovalent anti venom neutralises just very few, sadly those species aren’t local to Nigeria, so the monovalent anti venom is almost useless here.”

He further adds that, “But then again, less than 10% of Nigerian hospitals stock the polyvalent anti venom. That’s the reason why people resort to trado treatments for it. But you know it’s a game of time if one doesn’t get needed help for it, the venom will eventually take the person’s life. So you can see that Nigeria is a sad case. There’s no point defending Nigeria at all.”

Reacting to the incident of the young Nigerian woman, Ifunanya ‘Nanyah a singer, who died from a cobra bite, Nurudeem Tianmiyu says, “If you even have the venom antidote which cold facility will they be kept. These things are not even on the front burner or both the people and the leaders.”

Anti-venom non-availability is the issue.
Anti venom needs a cold chain for storage, and in a country where there’s lack of electricity in both rural and urban areas, this poses a serious challenge.

Speaking to his experience: Kenneth Ndukwe says “In the rural area where our farm is sited, I meet and greet snakes more than I meet humans. Different kinds and species; varieties of Black Mamba, the most common, varieties of Cobra, viper, varieties of Puff Ader, Green Mamba, pythons, all manner of snakes. This led me to studying snakes; and it’s really an interesting adventure. It’s very unusual for snakes to stealth, ambush and attack heavier organisms especially humans. I have had two very scary encounters with well developed cobras. (Thickness size of street solar pole). I normally don’t bother to chase after snakes except I see them around the house. I just startle them and they run”, adding that he “Also wish to learn more about snake repellents and anti venom practices.”

WHY THE RICH ALSO CRY FROM SNAKE BITES

Some years ago, I changed apartment to a new environment, as I started working on getting the place to conform and align to my spiritual vibratory range via some renovations and paint works, I noticed that the outside toilet chamber had cracks.

Cracks enough for a mouse to pass through. My wildlife antenna stood up. “If a mouse can pass through, then a very hungry snake would do everything “snakingly” possible to squeeze through.

That was my Broken Window theory red flag.

I called the Agent to get me a Plumber. He complained that there’s no plumber work in the apartment and everything is perfect. I insisted. He brought one. And both Plumber and Agent made mockery of my paranoia.

“Hahahaha, Snakes no fit climb from there na go upstairs,” they chorused like paid hypemen.

But I have watched over seven seasons of Snakes in the City by Simon Keys. I have watched over 100 documentaries on reptiles alone. I don’t watch documentaries for entertainment.

Even when I watch entertaining stuff I don’t do so to be entertained. And I went to school too. So my thought process should work differently even if I am not a billionaire yet.

I have passed the level anyone can tell me “so so and so cannot happen”, especially when dealing with animals or human beings.

Popular knowledge is that Lions cannot climb trees, but evolutionary adaptation says otherwise. I have seen tree climbing Lions at the Queen Elizabeth National Park in Uganda and also at Tanzania’s Lake Manyara and Tarangire National Parks.

They climb to escape tsetse flies, avoid the heat, and gain a better vantage point for spotting prey. That’s an adaptation at its best.

I have seen ordinary Goats climb trees in Morocco. I mean Ewu mmeeeee, climbing trees perfectly. They climb the Argania spinosa tree around Agadir.I was told that the goats are always driven by the need to eat the fruit and leaves of the argan tree, a key part of their diet due to limited vegetation in arid regions. Another powerful expression of adaptation.

Knowledge is progressive and I can’t keep quiet and allow people whom I have had the privilege of more extensive exposures to make conclusive statements on issues where there should be windows for interrogations.

That’s why I get angry at some of you who allow mechanics tell them that their catalytic converters are of no use in cars because “Oyibo no get sense, e just put am for fancy”.

With your PhD you nodded in agreement to such arrant nansense that many typical Nigerian artisans vomit every time. Even if your PhD is not in mechanical engineering, at least your course work was rigorous enough to expand the elasticity of your intellect to be able to detect BS from a quarter of kilometres .

That’s what education does to the mind. The privilege of thinking farther and further. Not good paying jobs.

So I paid the plumber to change the entire evacuation system to my apartment and ensure they’re properly meshed with strong materials both at the end, junctions and chambers.

E get why.

Snakes typically enter plumbing systems via exterior vents on the roof or through damaged sewer lines or the chambers. They are capable of climbing vertically through wet, narrow, or vertical pipes such as drain pipes or plumbing vents due to their unique, almost entirely muscular anatomy, which allows them to leverage their environment through specialized movements.

As I explained in another thread last week, the process is known as “concertina” movements because they constrict their muscles to grip the sides of the pipe—while using their ventral scales to gain purchase, even on wet or smooth surfaces.

In vertical or tight, empty spaces, snakes anchor their rear body by pressing it against the pipe walls while extending their head and front body upward. They then pull their rear body up and repeat the process, acting much like a climber moving up a chimney.

Of all creatures on earth, snakes have had to adapt the most for their survival and this made them extremely intelligent creatures. Go and watch the documentary on how female King Cobras, the only snake that builds a nest before laying her eggs, achieves that arduous task without hands or legs.

With about 15,000 muscles, they are exceptionally strong and their bodies function as thick-walled tubes of muscle, which they can flex to push against opposite sides of a pipe.

Moreso, they have belly scales which are made of keratin and can grab onto irregularities on the surface of pipes, acting like hooks to keep them from sliding down. Interestingly, the wet surfaces don’t deter them.

While water makes surfaces slippery, it can also create suction or allow the snake to adhere its scales to the pipe, provided there is enough texture.

So pay attention to little things to avoid a visitor who doesn’t knock on the front door nor the back door.

It can’t knock anyway.