Save The Snakes supports Patrick Kinyatta Malonza to reduce human-snake conflict in the Mwingi area in Kenya and educate community members about snake conservation. Patrick has participated in several community snake awareness seminars provided snakebite workshops in Kenya to the general public and other interested groups including some medical practitioners.
Project Title:
Towards the conservation of snakes and reduction of snake-human conflict in Mwingi area in Kenya
Project Summary:
Globally snakes are feared by many people often causing them to kill snakes on site irrespective of the dangers they pose. This fear is mainly fueled by folklore and/or religious beliefs. However, in some cases people develop a fear after having a loved one die from snakebite. Snakebite victims may die due to a number of reasons; preference for traditional snakebite treatments over modern medicine, inability of snakebite victims to arrive at health facilities in good time, misidentification of snakes by health care givers and also the wrong administration of first aid following a snakebite.
In Kenya snakebite related deaths are mainly reported in warm and humid areas of the coast and also in the dry lands of the eastern and northern parts of the country. In particular the Mwingi area in the eastern region ranks highest in terms of snakebite and snakebite related deaths. Within these areas all snakes are viewed as dangerous and are supposed to be killed.
Aims and Objectives:
Patrick and his team aim to conduct awareness campaigns using posters, to sensitize both the local community and public health workers in Mwingi on the identification of dangerous snakes in the area, on how to avoid snakebites and learn first aid in case anyone is bitten. They will hold a meeting with representatives from 40 schools and 10 dispensaries and provide them with brief introductions to snakes of Kenya and why it is important to conserve them. The posters will be distributed to the participants to take to their respective institutions.
Goal:
The goal of this project is to reduce the number of snakebites and consequent deaths in Mwingi area by 50% and reduce the unnecessary killing of snakes due to ignorance and fear. They hope to increase public awareness on snakes and snakebites by 75% by the end of the project.
Project Update:
To reduce snakebite and the unnecessary killing of snakes, 2018 Save The Snakes Support Grant recipient Patrick Kinyatta Malonza organized snakebite awareness workshops for local health workers throughout the Mwingi Sub-County in Kenya. With funding from Save The Snakes, Patrick was able to produce and distribute 50 posters titled Know and Save Your Snakes: Venomous Snakes of Mwingi-Kitui. These posters focused on snake identification, snakebite avoidance and the importance of snake conservation.
Download the Know and Save Your Snakes: Venomous Snakes of Mwingi-Kitui Poster by clicking the images below: 
Support Snake Conservation
Patrick’s project is a recipient of the 2018 Save The Snakes Support Grant Program. Save The Snakes Support Grants are made possible because of the generosity of compassionate people and organizations who are inspired and dedicated to protect threatened snake populations and mitigate human-snake conflict around the world. Please donate today to help us continue to fund projects like Patrick’s snake conservation project in Kenya. Thank you for your support.