VILLAGERS IN A NORTHERN KENYA DISTRICTARE LIVING IN FEAR AFTER THE MYSTERIOUS INVASION BY HUNDREDS OF PYTHONS WHICH HAVE KILLED AND EATEN900 ANIMALS IN TWO MONTHS.

Writes Leo ODERA Omolo In Kapenguria, West Pokot

RESIDENTS of Kang’elai Division in West Pokot District in Northern Kenya a4re living in fear following an unusual invasion of pythons that have so far killed more than 900 goats and sheep.

They have sent out an SOS message to the Kenya Wildlife Services {KWS} to come to their rescue before these serpent devour young school going children..

Villagers said they suspected the pythons might migrated from their natural hideouts in Suam Forest in search of food due o prolonged drought, which had depleted their usual prey of small antelope and other wild animals.

Following a brief story, which had appeared in a column of the Nairobi’s daily, the DAILY NATION, this writer made an impromptu trip to this semi-arid region whose inhabitants are mainly pastoral communities of Pokots and the Turkana to investigate the authenticity of the story

.The district is located north-west of Kitale Town, the district headquarters of Trans-Nzoia along the Kenya-Uganda border .Suam Forest covers a wide area of virgin land, and is a place usually full of wild animals. But recently decimated by prolonged drought and frequent outbreak of bush fires. It has an area which is a swampy land full of Papyrus weeds, and the residents suspects this place as the breeding site for pythons.

One of the civic leaders in the area Councillor John Lodiolem and the Kang’elai District Officer, Mr.Elvis Kolum said the hungry reptiles were now slithering around the villages, attacking ,killing and eating goats and sheep.

They said the snakes had so far killed 936 in the past thre months..

The Dom said the villagers feared being attacked by the snakes that are searching food near the homesteads and in the grazing fields within the Division, which is also part of the Kapenguria Parliamentary constituency.

Mr. Kolum said that parents now escort their children to and from school to protect from the usually shy, but powerful snakes.

Councillor Lodioldem sent out an urgent appeal asking the KWS to come to the rescue of the villagers before reptiles turn and pounced on human beings..The civic leader also asked the KWS to compensate the pastrolists who have lost their livestock.

Youths {Morans} have formed vigilante groups, armed themselves with poisoned arrows and bows have been going around hunting the Division hunting for the killer snakes and have so far killed 78 full grown pythons in the past two weeks.

Thr district Game warden Mr.Kuyoni Lemereu also confirmed that the KWS game rangers had been sent to hunt down and kill the pythons, saying they had already disposed of four reptiles.

Kenya is full of mysteries, Only two months ago, a farmer in the coastal district of Malindi had a bout with a python which had attacked him. He only managed to release himself from the reptile after biting its tail.

Pythons is usually a shy animal, which prefer to launch a surprise attack against its prey, recoil itself around its body and kill by suffocating or smashing the animals ribs with its powerful body within minutes. It prefer smaller antelope, goats, sheep and dogs. Its other prey include rabbits and monkeys.

Pythons are reclusive and secretive reptiles, and it hard to find many of them in one place, therefore the latest invasion of the such a large number of reptiles is seen by the Pokots and Turkana tribesmen as signaling bad omen in the region where deaths from starvation have been reported as a result of the current acute shortage of food grain in Northern Kenya..The reptile which prefer camouflaging itself in the thickets rarely venture out of the bush..

It is is too slow and can only move for one and half a mile in a day, but in a surprise attack against its prey it can jump several meters and land on the unsuspecting animals, which it can kill so quickly, and swallow it intact. This is why it prefer the smaller animal.

A full grown python can measure up to between 12 and 18feet long and can weigh between 0 and 100 kg. The most powerful is the African Rock pythons which can measure up to 22 feet. It is found on the top of the Mountains and also along the rivers and lake shores..But the reptile can turn aggressive when it is hungry. It has no poison[venom] but it has strong hook like teeth which it uses in catching its prey..

KWS officials were unable to explain why there were so many pythons in the area, where the reptiles had come from and their natural habitat. They were equally puzzled and baffled. As to howthe reptilkes have appeared in one area in such a great number at a time..

Ends

leooderaomolo@yahoo.com

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Date: Fri, 12 Jun 2009 19:20:52 -0700 (PDT)
From: Leo Odera Omolo
Subject: MYSTERIOUS INVASION OF A KENYAN VILLAGE BY PYTHONS