By Matik Kueth
Local authorities report a surge in snakebites in Mayom County, Unity State, with at least 23 cases recorded over October and early November. Luka Chierey, the Mayom County Commissioner, shared the figures with King Media on Wednesday.
“The flooding is still very severe. First of all, we have a lot of snakebite cases. We have 23 cases of snakebite. In one of the cases, the patient died instantly after eight to nine minutes when the snakebite an old lady in the area called Nyekuana. That was last week,” Chierey said.
He said the mobility of the floodwaters is causing a number of snake species, including the Southern black racer, to emerge all over the county.
“And the day before yesterday, we had one of the snakebite cases that bit an old man, and that snake has two heads. It can move behind, and it can move in front. We’ve seen some people coming from the front. It used the rear head to escape. So, it bites somebody, and that person, the whole body was swallowed. And now he was stabilized in Mankien by a doctor. And I went and see him today, this morning, and I find him in good condition.”
For the past five weeks, the flooding has been forcing residents to leave their homes in Mayom, forcing wild animals and other reptiles to flee to higher ground.
Cases of snake bites continue to be on the rise as torrential rains push the reptiles to safer, higher ground, also occupied by humans.
A signpost cautioning people to be aware of rattle snakes [Courtesy]