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Terror over creeping cobras: How to keep them away. What to do about snakebites
Do snakes hate salt? What to do in case of snakebite?
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Firefighter and snake expert Sutaphong Suepchai faces down a cobra during snake-catching training for firefighters at in Bangkok on June 15, 2018. (AFP/Lillian Suwanrumpha)
R
eports of cobras and other type of snakes lurking in residential areas in Greater Jakarta and other regions across the country have made it into top news over the past few weeks, raising public concern and fear over encountering the venomous snakes.
Within the first half of December in the capital city alone, at least 45 reports of cobra findings were filed with and handled by the Jakarta Fire and Rescue Agency.
The Indonesia Sioux Snake Foundation caught at least 50 venomous snakes ─ including a king cobra ─ over the past three months in 15 residential areas in Greater Jakarta, according to media reports.
Cobra hatchlings have seemingly topped the list of the findings. Some of them were reported discovered in open spaces. In Tabanan, Bali, for instance, residents recently found a mother cobra with 30 eggs in a residential area.
Some cobras, meanwhile, were found lurking inside toilets in some people’s houses, including in West Jakarta.
Why do snakes appear?
Amir Hamidy, a reptile researcher from the Indonesian Institute of Science (LIPI), said the frequent finding of snakes is a normal occurrence since cobra eggs usually hatch as the rainy season starts.
The Meteorology, Climatology and Geophysics Agency (BMKG) previously said the rainy season would start in the first or second week of December and would reach its peak in February and March 2020.
“The beginning of the rainy season is when the snake eggs hatch. This is a normal situation and a natural cycle,” he said recently as quoted by kompas.com.
Read also: Lurking inside? Tens of cobras terrorize toilets in West Jakarta
How to prevent snakes from appearing
As people have grown wary over the possibility of snakes lurking in their homes, Bekasi Fire and Rescue Agency team member Eko Uban shared some tips to prevent cobras and other kind of such reptiles from entering houses.
“First, the main and most important step is to keep your environment clean. Please get rid of any unused stuff that is piling up at the corners of your house,” he said, adding that snakes tend to hide in such places.
Eko recommended those who still have enough space in their house to plant lemongrass because it was believed to be an effective snake repellent.
Otherwise, people could also use soap or cleaning agent that smells of lemongrass to clean their houses.
“Snakes hate the smell,” he said. “Do not believe that snakes hate salt; it’s only a myth.”
What to do in case of snakebite
If you have been bitten by snake, the first thing to do is to stay calm and hold the wound at a lower position than the heart so as to prevent the venom from moving quickly through the bloodstream, West Java Health Agency head Berli Hamdani Gelung Sakti said.
Berli said everyone should treat a snake bite as an emergency and that anyone bitten should immediately seek medical help at the nearest health center and obtain antivenom.
“The health agency has the responsibility to take care of snakebite victims,” he said as quoted by tribunnews.com.
In light of the increasing snake sightings, the West Java Health Agency recently distributed antivenom serum to health agencies in regencies and municipalities across the province.
Read also: Slithering situation: Cobras captured after terrorizing regions
Where to get antivenom in Jakarta?
East Jakarta Fire and Rescue Agency head Indra Setiawan said that 10 hospitals across the capital have the serum for those who have been bitten by cobras.
They are Cipto Mangunkusumo Hospital and Tarakan Hospital in Central Jakarta, Pantai Indah Kapuk Hospital and Sulianti Saroso Hospital in North Jakarta.
In South Jakarta, the antivenom can be found at Fatmawati Hospital, Suyoto Hospital, Pasar Minggu Hospital and Jati Padang Hospital.
In West Jakarta, meanwhile, the serum is available at Mitra Keluarga Kalideres Hospital and Cengkareng Hospital.
“The health agency is procuring more of the serum. On [Wednesday], the city administration will hold another meeting to follow up on the case and we will discuss strategies to anticipate further [cobra] findings,” he said on Tuesday.
Some hospitals in Jakarta’s satellite cities that also have the serum are the Depok Hospital and Hasanah Graha Afiah General Hospital in Depok, Bekasi Hospital in Bekasi and South Tangerang Hospital in South Tangerang. (vla)
