The officer in charge of Snakebite treatment and research Centre, Kaltungo in Gombe state, Dr. Abubakar Ballah, has encouraged members of the public to include the trade of rearing snakes to enhance their financial status.
Ballah disclosed in Kaltungo on Friday that snake rearing is one of the maximum profitable trades, considering the high cost of snake venom which pharmaceutical industries use in generating anti snake venom.
“An ounce of the venom of a carpet viper snake is $500, that of cobra and puff adder snakes value $400, and the good factor about the business is that you may find market easily through the internet,” he said.
He stated that aside from the manufacturing of anti snakebite venoms, the pharmaceutical industries use the snake venoms in the manufacturing of anti hypertensive, cancer and ulcer pills.
He said that aside from promoting the snakes to pharmaceutical companies, the reptiles can be bought to earn foreign exchange.
“For instance, Indonesia has the most important reservoir of snakes in the world, very beautiful, colourful and harmless, and the government of that country exports them to earn revenue,” he stated
“In the area of fashion, the skins of the reptile is used in the manufacturing of fanciful belts, girls purses, shoes and other objects.
“It is consequently ironical to see fashion-conscious humans, dressed in shoes, belts and purses crafted from snake skins, either having phobia for live snakes, or see the reptile as enemy number one,” he observed.
Additionally in area of nature’s very own nourishment, the Officer said snake meat is a favourite delicacy in some African and Asian countries.
“They take away the venom and prepare special pepper soup, in particular the python meat, which tastes like fish meat,” he said.
Ballah stated in the area of agriculture, snakes assist in balancing the atmosphere on farmlands via lowering the quantity of destructive rodents, thereby permitting farmers to enjoy bumper harvest.
“Farmers do not go out at night time to check their farms; snakes do this for them, as such the reptiles are purported to be buddies of farmers, no longer enemies,” he added.
He attributed the phobia for snakes by humans to the terrific charisma of the elegant reptile, however stressed that snakes were harmless, and they only bite in self-defence.
“In most instances, it is only while it feels threatened that it bites, just like any man or women will now not hesitate to throw a punch at any enemy, real or imagined.
“So more often than not, we've instances of humans, both advertently or in any other case, stepping on snakes, and the reptile bites back out of the instinct to protect itself.
“This is why while a snake gets to hear any motion from some distance, it tries to run away however when pursued and located in a tight corner, it reacts if it has the means to accomplish that,” he explained.
On the way to rear snakes considering that taming same is a herculian project, the officer said interested people may want to either engage the services of snake charmers for a fee per snake, or engage in joint business with the charmers.
He stated Nigeria is blessed with forms of snakes spread all over the country, as examplified via what obtains in Kaltungo city of Gombe state, subsequently the need to harness same and generate revenue at individual and government tiers.
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