WHAT IS THE ADVANCED SNAKE HANDLING, AND SNAKEBITE INTERVENTIONS COURSE?

PLEASE NOTE THE FOLLOWING:

• The Advanced Snake Handling Identification, Handling & Snakebite Treatment course is not intended for the entry-level snake handler or the general employee as it aims to give people with a moderate understanding of snakebites and fair snake handling experience a chance to improve their knowledge and skills. This is course is open to anyone who would like to attend though.

• Learners who want to register for this course need to have a valid Basic Snake Identification, Handling, and Snakebite Treatment course certificate. We will accept certificates from other acceptable institutions, but this will remain at the discretion of Access Professional Development.

• Live Black Mambas will be used as part of the practical component and we will not allow any person who may be physically affected by sickness or injury to partake in this practical component for obvious reasons.

The Advanced Snake Identification, Handling, and Snakebite Treatment course was developed for the experienced snake handler, medical personnel, game rangers, and any other person who may have an interest in more information or experience. Our instructor has over 17 years’ worth of experience as an Advanced Life Support Paramedic with a BTech degree in Emergency Medical Care allowing him to give concrete medical explanations and in-depth treatment advice.

On completion of this course, successful candidates would gain valuable knowledge on the following topics:

• Snakebites as a Neglected Tropical Disease – We look at the impact snakebites have on families and communities, how the education of communities could decrease snakebites and how improved training of healthcare professionals could improve outcomes for snakebite victims.

• The Law and Snakes in the Workplace – This chapter deals with how the Occupational Health & Safety Act 85 of 1993 deals with Snake Training in the Workplace along with other legislature concerning the killing of snakes which is unfortunately common practice.

• Snake Identification – We have looked at the highly venomous snakes in the Basic Snake Identification, Handling, and Snakebite Treatment course. In this course, we look at the harder-to-identify species.

• Morphology of Snake Venom – In this chapter, we look at the various enzymes that make up the various snake venoms and how snake venoms are classified into snakebite syndromes

• Advanced Prehospital Snakebite Treatment – We discuss the secondary consequences of snakebites and how to treat them including shock, respiratory failure and rescue breathing with a Bag-Valve-Mask, and anaphylaxis.

• Advanced Snake Handling Techniques - Handling the Black Mamba is the pinnacle of this course! We also teach learners how to neck safely, secure snakes in bags when no other equipment is available, how to use acrylic tubes, and lastly sexing snakes using probes.