Officials of the Ejisu Juaben Municipal Assembly have begun fumigating buildings in Essienimpong, Kwaaso and Paise close to Ejisu in the Ashanti Region.
This follows the recent invasion of snakes in the three communities. But residents of the communities said the ongoing fumigation exercise is causing a lot of discomfort to them.
The snakes usually invaded their homes at night, according to the residents. They had killed about 300 green snakes in seven houses in the past three days.
The residents narrated although the three communities are surrounded by dense vegetation, residents say they have never had such an experience since they first settled their respective communities about 40 years ago.
The officials have clarified the situation, saying the onset of the rainy season is a contributing factor to the invasion.
A former Unit Manager of the Wildlife Division, Jibril Mohammed explained that “All reptiles lay their eggs from January to March when there is enough heat to incubate the eggs so before the rains set in, they might have finished hatching and begin to move about.”
“It means this season they have hatched around these vicinities which I can see is a forest area and very conducive for snakes to hide,” said Mohammed.
He added that snakes tend to move away from the wet area to cooler places to protect themselves, and their closest place of refuge was the communities.
Mohammed, however, noted that the breeds of snakes that invaded the communities – scuba and green mamba – are non-poisonous and pose no threat to the residents.
Residents said they are happy with the progress of work and are excited that something is being done about the situation. Opinion leaders have urged the residents to clean their environment and clear bushes to deter the snakes and to call your local snake catchers if ever you encounter a snake in your area.
African Eye Report/Myjoyonline
