Big Snakes, Little Snakes & Ken the Snakeman

Snakes live in Africa. We have had to contend with them on several occasions. We've encountered a few black mambas and even one green mamba on our morning walks. These small unassuming little creatures are deadly, and if you are bitten and do not get to the hospital and get anti-venom within 20 minutes, you die. Of course that is IF the hospital carries the anti-venom, which Sunyani Hospital does not. The encouraging thing is that they are quite docile and are not aggressive. The missionaries have had several snakes at their apartments and Kweku even saw a large Brown at our place in Nkwabeng, shortly after we arrived in Sunyani.

When we first met Dr. and Sister Fife in Accra, they invited us up to their apartment and there, hanging all across their living room wall, was a gigantic snake skin. It stretched some 15 feet long and was 18 inches wide and looked like brown velvet. Elder Zoll and I were thoroughly intrigued. (I swear I've got some of my mother in me--she LOVED snakes.) I don't love them nor even really like them, but it was really beautiful and I kept thinking how much our three little grandsons would love to see one.

We found out that it was a Rock Python, not an endangered species, but actually very common in and around Kumasi and Sunyani, where the Zolls and we live. It regularly grows to the length of 15 feet. It is non-venomous, and kills its prey by strangulation, wrapping its muscular body around its prey until it cannot breathe, then swallows it whole and dozes off for a couple of months while it is digested. Pythons feed mainly on small antelopes, large rodents, and similar. "They are harmless to adult humans, but could conceivably kill a small child." (Now that kind of freaked me out!)

Dr. Fife contacted Ken the Snakeman to see if he could locate two more of the skins for Zolls and us. Fifes and Zolls left to go home in October and a few months later, Ken called me and said he had found two more. Ken lives in Accra and I knew that there was no way I was ever going to get President Thayne to drive ten hours to Accra to pick up a couple of snake skins. Ken said it was no problem and that he would take a tro-tro and bring them to Sunyani. A few days later, Ken called and said he was in town and to meet him at the Polytechnic College near our home. We waited and waited and then he called and asked where we were. We finally figured out that he was in Takoradi, some 8 hours away on the coast instead of Sunyani. Oh, the joys of the language barrier! He said no problem. He'd just take a tro-tro up and would meet us the next day.

We finally met Ken the Snakeman and sure enough he had two very large, very impressive Rock Python skins. We made the exchange and will be delivering one to Zolls. We can't wait to hear the grandsons all "ooh" and "aahh" and the little granddaughters scream in utter terror and disgust. It should be interesting to say the least.