The man who’s most at home at a snakes farm

Watamu Snake Park curator Kyle Ray holds a Kenyan sand boa. FILE PHOTO | NMG

Growing up in Nairobi, Kyle Ray was excited when his dad and mom introduced home a python as a pet.

While different youngsters his age have been taking part in round with toys and different pets like dogs and cats, Kyle domesticated a serpent as a result of his complete household, particularly his father, have been all for snakes.

“I was always interested in snakes as a young boy after it was cultivated or nurtured in me in my childhood. My parents first brought me to the Watamu Snake Farm in Kilifi County when I was 12 years old to start learning more about snakes,” says Kyle.

After visiting the snake farm in his childhood, he returned to the farm as a handler and even took over the curator position years later.

The fifth-generation Kenyan was born in Nairobi, schooled at Peponi Preparatory School and later joined Hillcrest Secondary School and left at 16 after finishing his O-level schooling to deal with snakes.

Kyle, 33, has been dealing with venomous snakes for the final 15 years.

“I didn’t choose this career, it chose me. I have a huge passion for snakes and trying to protect them. I came to the farm as a handler and took the curator position,” he tells the Business Daily.

At the farm, his mentors helped him examine extra in regards to the reptiles. He furthered his craving by attending conferences and snake exhibitions globally.

His two youngsters are additionally all for every part wild.

“My children, aged six and three, are very interested and happy with the work that I do. My parents are also very supportive,” he says.

The youngsters love visiting their father on the snake farm and revel in seeing his work and dealing with snakes.

However, his son has an enormous curiosity in frogs.

“But they’re young and nonetheless discovering out what they’re all for,” says the snake handler.

Kyle believes there are usually not sufficient specialists within the sector who’re correctly educated.

However, he says by grants many Kenyans can be educated as handlers.

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“This is also time-consuming work, our handler went through three years of training to become a senior venomous snake handler,” says Kyle.

Kyle, who can be educated in fireplace security, decries the shortage of adequate feminine snake handlers. This is regardless of his perception that girls make the very best snake handlers.

“We have trained Ms Nancy Njeri who works at our farm. She is a great snake handler. Female handlers usually make the best and have way less bites than males. Women don’t have anything to prove but men are always trying to impress!” notes Kyle.

He has by no means labored in another snake farm other than Watamu the place he was mentored.

However, he has labored in a number of locations within the Maasai Mara as a information and a lodge supervisor.

His favorite snake is the eyelash viper.

Out of the African species, Kyle has two favourites: a purple spitting Cobra and a gaboon viper.

“Because of their colours, patterns and their behaviour, I can’t choose between the two,” says Kyle.

His profession has taken him to Dubai, Abu Dhabi and Germany, all being nations the place snake talks and gala’s are held ceaselessly.

Normal snake bites

Kyle has additionally met many world-renowned specialists in his subject together with Stephen Spawls, David Williams, David Warrel, and Mark O’Shea.

While looking or dealing with snakes, he says, handlers should put on protecting gear together with closed footwear and use snake dealing with instruments.

In his obligation, Kyle has been bitten by a number of non-venomous snakes, terming it as regular within the business.

“But I have not been bitten by venomous snakes,” he provides.

He plans to develop in his position as a snake handler on the snake farm which usually receives vacationers from everywhere in the world.

“Watamu could be very seasonal and is determined by the time of the yr. We can obtain between 200 and 300 guests in a month, each from inside the nation in addition to foreigners from Italy, Germany, America and even France,” he says.

“I also want to keep spreading awareness about snakes and teach people the importance of snakes,” he provides.

The snake farm, which was based in 1980, is home to over 30 species of serpents together with these with the world’s deadliest venom, such because the Boomslang, Black Mamba, Egyptian Cobra, Gaboon Viper, and Puff Adder.

The non-profit organisation researches venom to assist the communities struggling the burden of snake bites within the nation.

His regular shift begins at dawn.

Boniface Momanyi, the snake farm supervisor, says, “We are yet to get the Jameson mamba which originates from Western Kenya. We also have cobras including forest cobras, red spitting cobras, and Egyptian cobras,” stated the supervisor.

The snakes are housed in cages with most of them captured from totally different components of the nation.

Most of the encounters with people are recorded in Kilifi the place greater than 10 instances of snake bites are reported in a single month alone.

“Most of the people bitten are children while playing and women cutting firewood. Snake venom carries toxins which is a complex mixture of proteins and enzymes,” says Boniface.

He provides that the species have lethal venom categorized into three main classes: neurotoxic, hemotoxic, and cytotoxic.

Neurotoxic venom harms the mind and nervous system and it may be delivered with out inflicting a variety of ache and most of the people don’t even realise they’ve been bitten till the signs begin to kick in.

Deadliest snake

Neurotoxic venom is alleged to be the deadliest one and relying on the quantity injected into the sufferer, it could actually kill inside half-hour.

The black mamba produces this explicit variant and has a fatality fee of one hundred pc, making it the deadliest snake on the planet.

Hemotoxic venom disrupts blood clotting, thereby impacting the cardiovascular system. It additionally causes tissue injury all through the physique and big inside bleeding.

The cytotoxic venom causes extreme ache by impairing the tissues on a molecular stage, resulting in dying.

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Milking snakes

Kyle says snakebites kill over 1,000 folks in Kenya alone.

“There are a lot of people who get bitten and end up with permanent disabilities. Another huge problem is mental trauma. Someone who has been bitten may have been a sole breadwinner and they can’t earn income any more, so they end up being a burden on the family,” explains Kyle.

He additionally milks snakes, a course of generally often known as venom extraction. The Business Daily met him milking an Egyptian cobra.

First, the snake was taken out from the pot and placed on the mat the place they then put it in a tube.

“It is the safest way to handle the snake. Egyptian cobras are found in Maanzoni, Konza, Naivasha and we have an isolated population in Busia. It has really bad protein venom,” he explains.

Milking of venom is completed each day at precisely 11 o’clock.

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