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Dangerous snakes including black mamba and carpet viper have been washed from far distances into farms and homes in some villages in Plateau – Pankshin/Kanke/Kannam Federal Constituency.
Hon. Timothy Golu, House of Representatives member representing the constituency, said this on Sunday.
He told NAN: “The floods have pushed snakes into my constituency. They move around openly and snake bites have become very common there.
“As the waters pushed them, some snakes climbed trees; others entered holes while some just held unto any straw . All of them later descended into residences and farms where they have been wreaking havoc,” he said.
He said that the people used to travel to a snake clinic in Zamko, in Langtang Local Government, but there were no more drugs in the facility.
“The drugs are very expensive and purchasing them had been difficult for the proprietor of the clinic because it was always difficult or outright impossible for the patients to pay,” he said.
Golu advised the federal and state governments to take over the production of local drugs to help the generally rural populace that had been the victims of the menace.
He said that farmers were being advised to use hand gloves and rain boots at the farms to minimise the effect of such bites, but lamented that many hardly heed the counsel.