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Some visitors to Kenya are concerned about coming
across snakes- but leave having never seen a single specimen. Indeed,
snakes are very rarely seen in Kenya. Their natural behaviour and
aversion to humans makes them one of the country’s most elusive
creatures.
For anyone actually interested in seeing snakes, it can be a
real challenge. This is a pity, as snakes and other reptiles play as
important a role in Kenya’s ecosystem as our grazing mammals or
brilliant birdlife. While it is of course not advisable to go in active
search of snakes in the wild, without a qualified and knowledgeable
local guide- it is worth learning more about Kenya’s reptiles.
This is the purpose of the all new Community Museum and Reptile Park,
which was opened at Lake Baringo on April 15th. The Museum has been
established to educate local people and visitors about reptile species.
Baringo is well known for its reptiles. Hot, dry and rocky, this is
perfect country for lizards and snakes, while the fresh waters of the
Lake are home to a healthy population of crocodiles.
So bountiful is the Lakes supply of fish, that the local
Njemps people believe that the crocodiles are too well fed to ever
attack humans, and live peaceably alongside them. While this
relationship is environmentally admirable, it should be remembered that
local legend often contains an element of myth- and taking a swim in the
Lake is definitely not advised. A boat trip, however, or a stay on the
central Ol Kokwe Island, is a good way to see the local crocs.
The new museum was established by Community Museums of Kenya,
an organization which believes that natural and cultural treasures
should not be removed and displayed in distant museums, but retained in
their own environment, so that both visitors and local communities can
benefit from this wealth of heritage. Last year they opened the
Kipsaraman Museum in the Western Highlands to showcase the
paleontological treasures of the Tugen Hills.
The new Museum/Reptile Park was created in conjunction with the Museum
National d’ Histoire Naturelle in Paris. The French Government has
provided the Community Museum project with technical assistance, and
played an active role in establishing the Baringo Museum.
The museum is open daily, displaying several species of
snakes, including the Black Mamba, Puff Adder, Boomslang and Spitting
Cobra as well as Monitor Lizards, Crocodiles and a central pit shared by
endangered tortoises and harmless Stripe Bellied Sand Snakes.
Trained staff are on hand to answer queries and give visitors
guided tours. The museum plans to work very closely with the Baringo
community to educate local people about reptiles and their role in local
ecology.
The Museum was officially opened by the Director of the
Museum d’ Histoire Naturelle, Bernard Chevassus, who was delighted to
visit Kenya. In his opening speech, he reminded the people of Baringo
that the first Museum in the world was created in Africa, 2000 years
ago- at Alexandria in Egypt.
Coming to Kenya, he said, was a dream come true for a Natural
Historian, comparable only to “Rome for Christians, or Mecca for
Muslims”. The official opening drew many guests, including Kenya’s
Minister for Tourism, Raphael Tuju, and representatives of the French
Embassy in Nairobi.
The event was also a gathering for the many communities that live around
the lake, including Njemps, Pokot, and Luo. After joining in a series of
traditional dances- Mr. Chevassus thanked the people of Baringo for
their warm welcome, which he said made him “feel like a Kenyan- not a
Njemps, or a Pokot, or a Luo, but still a Kenyan”
The Director of Community Museums of Kenya, Mr. Eustace
Gitonga, was extremely happy to see yet another Museum opened, and was
hopeful that this would become a centre for local conservation. Many of
Baringo’s reptiles have been threatened by poaching and capture for
overseas collection, and it hoped that education by the new Museum would
reverse this trend.
Conservation of reptiles has become a popular issue in Kenya
over the past few weeks, with the arrival of a giant python causing
local debate near Lake Victoria in Western Kenya.
The massive 16 foot long snake appeared near Nyakach, and is
believed to have emerged from nearby swamplands. Some local people felt
that the snake was a threat to goats and other livestock, but for elders
of the Luo community, the appearance of the python meant something very
different indeed.
They believed that this was Omieri, a sacred snake believed in Luo
tradition to live in the waters of the Nyanza (Lake Victoria) and emerge
at times of drought to summon the rains.
They refused to allow the snake to be harmed, and afforded it
protection, feeding it and encouraging it to stay to bring good fortune
and guarantee the coming rainy season. Omieri has been living at the
village for a month, and is attracting visitors to the region, many of
whom believe that seeing the snake will bring them luck.
Omieri recently gave birth to a clutch of eleven eggs,
meaning that her legacy will live on. Local wildlife services have
offered to assist with the protection of the python.
As the rains began to break over Kenya, promising
agricultural bounty to come, it seems that Omieri has brought her
promised fortune, and may eventually return to the waters of the Lake
once again.
Source: Magical
Kenya Website (2009)
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