Perhilitan Tells You How To Avoid Snakes That Might Be Lurking About This Rainy Season

Snakes come out of hiding during the rainy season in search of new shelter and hunting grounds.

Brian Stalter/Unsplash/Twitter/NashhDew

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Malaysia is a biodiversity hotspot home to many unique and amazing creatures that many may encounter on a daily basis, in our very own neighbourhoods.

But for most here in the Klang Valley surrounded by our towers of steel, brick and concrete, coming face-to-face with a wild animal might be a daunting and unfamiliar experience, especially if the said animal has a tendency to slither about when we’re not looking.

With the monsoon season expected to bring torrential downpours and flash floods across the country till March 2021, Malaysia’s Wildlife and National Parks Department (Perhilitan) issued some quick guidelines on how you can best avoid and prepare your homes and businesses for any unexpected cold-blooded guests;

Step 1 – Ensure that your homes and surroundings are clear of rubbish piles and debris.

Step 2 – Do a bit of gardening and trim away any tall grass or bushes as these are ideal places for snakes to hide and conceal themselves.

Step 3 – Close off any holes or exposed crevices around the interior and exterior of your homes and businesses to keep snakes out.

Step 4 – Properly dispose of food wastes to avoid attracting rodents and other pests that snakes like to snack on.

Step 5 – Inspect each and every space in your residences like the toilets, storerooms, bedrooms and others before you use em’

Step 6 – Inspect cold, dark places around your homes like shoe cabinets or any piles of junk and items that snakes may use as burrows.

[TIPS MENCEGAH KEHADIRAN ULAR DI KAWASAN KEDIAMAN DAN PREMIS]
Kehadiran ular sering berlaku di kawasan kediaman atau premis terutama kawasan premis yang mempunyai ruang tersorok, sejuk dan gelap seperti rak kasut, kabinet atau mempunyai longgokan barangan yang tidak digunakan. pic.twitter.com/fT47WftyNF
— Jabatan PERHILITAN (@PERHILITAN) November 20, 2020

But what happens if a snake does get into my home?

Wildlife experts note that snakes would come out of their natural habitats during the rainy season to look for new shelter and hunting grounds. Here are the steps to follow if a snake manages to slitter its way into your living spaces;

Step 1 – Don’t panic and confirm that there is in fact a snake in your house and where exactly it’s hiding.

Step 2 – Do not approach, provoke or make any sudden and quick movements when faced with the animal, as snakes have a higher tendency to attack when they feel threatened.

Step 3 – Try to identify what type of snake it is.

The Malaysia Biodiversity Information System or MyBIS has an excellent catalogue of venomous and nonvenomous snakes native to our country which you can check out HERE, or you can also download a copy of Malaysia’s very own guidebook on snakes and snakebites provided by the Health Ministry (MOH)

If you cannot identify the snake, it’s best to assume that it is dangerous and to be kept away from.

Step 5 – Call the emergency 999 hotline and request for assistance from emergency services such as the Malaysian Civil Defence Force (APM).

ANGGOTA APM menunjukkan ular sawa yang ditangkap di Kampung Sungai Ayam, Batu Pahat, Johor. FOTO Essa Abu Yamin

Step 6 – Keep a safe distance away from the snake and try to keep it within your sight to avoid it hiding somewhere else and make it harder for emergency services to locate and retrieve the animal.