Snake catcher Sompob Sridaranop is busier than ever during the floods, with hundreds of calls from people who have spotted the reptiles in inundated areas.
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| Snake catcher Sompob Sridaranop shows a recent capture, a poisonous and hot tempered large-eyed green pit viper. |
The 57-year-old civil servant attached to the Marine Department has been catching snakes for more than 30 years in Bangkok and Ayutthaya.
Although there are many other snake catchers in Bangkok and elsewhere around the county, Mr Sompob's reputation has grown both domestically and internationally, so he was the first choice for authorities to turn to for advice and assistance in catching snakes.
Under normal conditions, Mr Sompob deals with an average of 40 to 50 cases per month, but since the floods hit, he's been dealing with as many as 10 cases a day.
However, the number of snakes caught did not go up proportionally to the number of calls, because the flood itself has proved to be an obstacle.
Inundated roads have prevented Mr Sompob from reaching many locations as he works on his own as a volunteer. He does not have a boat or trucks with which to navigate the deep water.
While the government officials and police tried their best to connect the callers with an expert by routing all animal removal calls straight to his cell phone, the help ended there.
Dissension and general lack of cohesion between government, authorities and agencies were partly to be blamed for the coordination problems, he said.
"When the authorities redirected the calls to me, they didn't realise that I don't have the boat to go in,"Mr Sompob said.
"I had to tell many callers 'Sorry, but you're going to have to call someone else who has a boat'.
"But if they would just coordinate a pickup point for me, I'd be more than willing to go in."
He said one of the biggest obstacles for him is fuel costs. He does not get paid, nor does he have a sponsor. Only about three out of 10 people would offer him travel expenses, so most of the time he would pay out of his own pocket.
"It's tough when you're on a civil servant's salary but the reason I do this is because I enjoy helping people," he said.
Another obstacle arose last August; Mr Sompob was diagnosed with acute renal failure, requiring him to undergo dialysis twice a week, for four hours per session.
Although he could recover his strength to resume his activity, the dialysis wound prevents him from getting in the water.
Mr Sompob said his inspiration came from The Queen's royal address to blood donors when he was just 22. The Queen asked Thai people to be more selfless and help each other out.
He took the advice and began volunteering with the police at first.
Along the way he learned how to catch snakes and the skill has stayed with him ever since.
Mr Sompob became an animal remover, catching just about anything from snakes, monkeys and monitor lizards to geckos, insects and various other venomous creatures. He also gives demonstrations, educates the public about snakes and trains police, security officers and emergency responders on how to catch them.
Mr Sompob said of the 17 species of snakes typically found in the Bangkok area, 90% of the calls were about reticulated pythons, followed by cobras and pit vipers.
Captured snakes are sorted. Venomous snakes are delivered to Queen Saovabha Memorial Institute for venom extraction; non-venomous snakes are released back into the wild away from human settlements.
Mr Sompob said snakes are misunderstood and are not as big a danger as they are portrayed to be. In fact, each year more people are killed by paper wasps than by snakes, he said, adding that snakes are vital to the ecosystem and control rodent population.
This time of the year, the beginning of winter, marks the start of their mating season. Snakes tend to be more active and aggressive during this period.
Snakes are attracted to the smell of their prey and prefer cool places, like air-conditioned rooms.
To prevent snakes from entering the house, Mr Sompob advised covering drainage holes, sealing holes and crevices around and under houses, spraying non-flammable but pungent oil like paraffin around the house to block the snakes' ability to sniff out prey, and reducing trash and pet food that could attract rodents.
Mr Sompob said people should understand that snakes are territorial and only bite humans as a defence mechanism.
He said they are more likely to flee rather than fight. They also have poor eyesight and rely on smell and sensing heat and vibrations. When seeing a snake, one should keep as far away as possible and avoid cornering them.
If confronted by a snake, one should remain calm and as still as possible, because snakes are attracted to motion and any movement may provoke them to attack.
Wait for the snake to move away and then contact professionals; do not attempt to handle any snakes unless trained to do so.
If bitten, it is very important to remember the description of the snake in order to get the right antivenin, and to get to the hospital as soon as possible, the veteran snake catcher said.
When attacked by a constrictor, do not try to pull it off but rather unwind it or stab it with a sharp object, as snakes will normally run away when injured. To tell a bite wound by venomous snake from a non-venomous one, one or two fang holes means venomous; rows of teeth mean not venomous.
The four hospitals in Bangkok area carrying antivenin are Siriraj and Somdej Prapinklao in Bangkok Noi, Bhumibol Adulyadej Hospital in Sai Mai, and Chulalongkorn near Silom.
Do not go to Queen Saovabha Memorial Institute, as the agency does not deal with snakebite patients.
For animal removals and advice, contact Mr Sompob on 089 043 8445, or contact local firefighters, the National Parks, Wildlife, and Plant Conservation Department Hotline 1362 or City Hall's firefighting hotline 199.
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