WHAT IS THE BASIC SNAKE IDENTIFICATION, BASIC HANDLING, AND SNAKEBITE TREATMENT COURSE?

Snakebite can be a life-threatening emergency at home, the workplace, or during holidays. Although not 100% preventable a lot can be done to reduce the chances of getting bitten by a deadly snake which can lead to life-changing deformities or death. Most snakebites are treated with polyvalent antivenom so identifying the snake that bit you is not necessary but with a positive ID hospital staff would be able to anticipate what the best treatment options would be. When encountering a snake, it is important to act calm and know how to safely catch a venomous snake without getting bitten and this is what our Basic Snake Identification, Handling and Snakebite Treatment course is all about!

This exciting course is presented by Nick van der Walt who holds a BTech degree in Emergency Medical Care & Rescue with over 17 years’ worth of experience in the prehospital emergency care profession as an Advanced Life Support Paramedic. He has been working with venomous snakes since 2002 and has presented this course both nationally and in other African countries. Nick also holds Agricultural and Health & Safety qualifications giving him a wealth of knowledge and experience when it comes to problem snakes in the workplace and snakebite treatment. He is registered with various SETA’s as a qualified Facilitator, Assessor and Moderator and was recently selected as the presenter on Prehospital Snakebite Treatment at the South African Snakebite Symposium.

We keep a variety of indigenous snakes for the Basic Snake Identification, Handling and Snakebite Treatment course and we do make 4 species endemic to your area available for your course. Where we don’t have a specific snake, a suitable alternative will be used. All snakes are kept and transported as per legal requirements. Black Mambas are only made available for the Advanced Snake Identification, Handling & Snakebite Treatment course.

The Basic Snake Identification, Handling and Snakebite Treatment course comes highly recommended to companies who have problem snakes on the property posing a safety hazard and wish to train their employees on snakebite prevention and safe catch and relocation techniques of these animals. This course is also available to individuals who wish to learn more about snakes in general, assist with their identification skills, learn how to catch these snakes, and also for keeping permits in certain provinces.

On completion of the Basic Snake Identification, Handling and Snakebite Treatment course, successful candidates would gain valuable knowledge on the following topics:

• Basic Snake Biology – Learners will catch a glimpse into the life of a snake and learn basic concepts like how they smell, see, move, track their prey, reproduce, etc.

• Basic Snake Identification – With this being a 1-day course we can unfortunately not go through every snake that you might encounter, however, we do cover the deadly snakes you may encounter along with commonly found mildly and non-venomous snakes.

• Snake Awareness – In this chapter, we deal with common misunderstandings and folklore. Snake conservation, and measures that you can put in place to reduce the chances of being bitten.

• Snakebite Treatment – We cover the basic first aid measures that can be implemented pre-hospital which could save a life if done correctly and timeously. Practical components include CPR & Rescue Breathing, pressure bandages, and tourniquets for neurotoxic bites. It is also important when to use and when to avoid these maneuvers as they can cause more harm than good if used incorrectly.

• Safe Snake Handling Techniques – We discuss equipment that is commonly available to the snake handler, how to use them correctly, and what to do with a captured snake. Practical components include the use of snake hooks and tongs, snake buckets ad snake tubes. No necking will be taught during the basic course.

• Scorpion Identification and Envenomation Treatment – In this chapter we cover basic scorpion behaviour, scorpion venom, identifying the medically important species, signs and symptoms of scorpion envenomation, and the prehospital management of scorpion sting.

• Spider Identification and Envenomation Treatment – We look at the different types of spider venom, medically important species of spiders, and the management of prehospital sider bites.

• Medical Emergencies of Bees and Wasps – In this final chapter we discuss the identification of the medically important wasps and bees, signs and symptoms of bee and wasp stings, and the prehospital management of these stings.

The Basic Snake Identification, Handling and Snakebite Treatment course is accredited/endorsed by the Durban University of Technology/HPCSA, the South African Veterinary Council, the Field Guides Association of Southern Africa, the Pest Control Industries Professional Council, the National Federation of Tourist Guides and Affiliates, Gauteng Province Department of Agriculture and Rural Development, and the South African Institute of Occupational Safety & Health.