Another Successful Working With Venomous Snakes Course

Balanced with Wildlife staff are back from another successful 3 day Working with Venomous Snakes course, this time for Rio Tinto in Tom Price, Western Australia.

The feedback from the course ranged from -

Brilliant, simply brilliant! Delivered by very professional trainers. This is the second course I have completed and by far the best. I was slightly apprehensive at the start but my fears were soon put to rest very quickly. The guys were brilliant, concise and friendly, very approachable and ran the course professionally. Thank you. Cheers.

to -

Graphics/slides could be bigger. Add basic catching tools into the price of the course. Overall very good. I learnt a heap. Very informative on identification and handling skills. Cheers!

We would like to thank all participants for their feedback - our trainers are currently reviewing our graphics/slides to see if they can be improved in any way and we have already been in contact with all participants and a large number of them have already ordered our catching kit packages.

Thanks go out to the staff at Rio Tinto Tom Price - our presenters commented on how well they were looked after whilst there and how receptive all participants were on the course.

Could This Have Been Prevented?

ANOTHER article about ANOTHER person who has died after being bitten by a snake in Nepal - it never ends.

On this occasion a 7 year old girl has lost her life.

This article highlights the need for appropriate snake bite first aid training to be made available to all people in Nepal - if what you read is accurate, the victim was unable to receive treatment on time because there were no doctors at the hospital.

Could appropriate first aid training have prevented this young death?

What A Horrible Read

Just reading this article from Nepal where an 18 month old child has died after being bitten by a snake while playing in his front yard.

These types of articles are almost impossible to imagine while we sit in the comfort of our homes watching our children play in our yards.

It makes you realise just how lucky we are.

Another Successful Snake Awareness Session

Balanced with Wildlife presented a 4 hour Snake Awareness Session to staff at the District Council of Mallala today and it was a resounding success!! Julian Craig was the presenter at the session and the feedback is already back on how good the presentation was.

One attendee writes -

"Riveting experience. Julian was the best and most interesting course instructor we have had in the last 10 years. The subject was very pertinent to our rural area with snakes an issue we have to deal with in our everyday lives. SENSATIONAL! Thank you"

Just to prove that we are being impartial, here is the "worst" comment we received (and there were over 20 feedback forms received) -

"Top course. Not boring and learnt a lot. Very interesting"!!!!

Well done Julian - if the comment above is the "worst" we ever get, then we have nothing to worry about!!

Just another example of the level of professionalism you receive when Balanced with Wildlife conducts a course for you - if there is a chance that your staff could ever come into contact with a snake in their workplace contact us and we will be happy to provide you with training or awareness sessions that are second to none.

The Tragedy In Pakistan

I am just reading this article from Pakistan with a very heavy heart - it discusses the increase in deaths by snake bite to children in Pakistan due of the unavailability of antivenin because of the current floods.

This issue is very close to the hearts of Directors of Balanced with Wildlife because a close friend of ours, now living in Australia but originally from Pakistan, has family still living there who are currently raising donations to help the Pakistani people in the flood ravaged areas - fortunately our friend's family's region was not affected by the floods.

Our thoughts go out to the Pakistani people affected by these floods and we hope that as much antivenin as you require to save the children and anyone else bitten by a snake is not far away.

Another Brilliant Presentation

Julian Craig from Balanced with Wildlife conducted another brilliant 4 hour Snake Awareness Session yesterday, this time for the Adelaide Hills Council.

Here's some feedback that has already been received on the session -

"Julian -- Excellent snake awareness course this morning at Heathfield Depot, much appreciated.

I would be grateful if you would send me the details of the Norton Summit meeting you mentioned, to be held on Sept 21.

Cheers

Brian"

and here is Julian's response -

"Hi Brian

Thanks for the feedback.

The session I spoke to you about is a Community Snake Awareness Session being held at the Norton Summit Natural Resource Centre, 1 Crescent Drive, Norton Summit (easterly, across the road from the Norton Summit Hotel).

Date is 21st of September 2010 and it starts at 7pm and will go until about 9.30pm.

All are welcome.

Contact Val Hunt on 8390 1891 for more info"

If you live in Adelaide and are interested in this subject, give Val Hunt at the Norton Summit Natural Resource Centre a call to attend the session on the 21st of September - it will give you a fascinating insight into these largely misunderstood creatures.

Check Out Living with Wildlife USA!!!!

After a heap of work and many - MANY - long hours, Living with Wildlife has finally launched it's USA website!!!

Check it out - there is a heap of information on snakes of the United States and a snake bite first aid sheet specific to the region can be downloaded free of charge.

An e-Book is soon to be released and you can even do an Online Snake Awareness course specific to snakes of the region.

While the e-Book is in the process of being published, you can buy the Online Snake Awareness course for a 60% reduction in price - you even get a Certificate of Completion at the end of it, so it is well worth considering doing the course before the price goes up if you have an interest in this subject and want to learn more about the behaviour of snakes from the USA.

An Indication Of The Size Of The Problem

Just have a read of this article to get an idea of the size of the problem of snake bite incidents in Nepal.

Conservatively estimated at 20,000 snake bites a year resulting in 1,000 deaths!!!!!

Can you imagine living somewhere where 20,000 people were bitten by snakes a year and 1,000 of these people died as a result?

I can't.

Another Snake Bite Death

Just reading this article and this article about two separate deaths by snake bite in Nepal - this time a 45 year old man and an 11 year old child.

These deaths seem like a daily event - what a way to have to live your life.

Snake Bite Increase in India

I have just been reading this article from India which highlights the increase in snake bite deaths when monsoons cause floods that destroy the snake's natural habitat.

There are interesting comments by a college Head of Zoology and it is well worth a read if you are interested in this topic.

Another Death By Snake Bite

Just reading this article about another death by snake bite in Nepal - this time a 53 year old woman - very sad.

Snake Bites In Siraha District

I am just reading this article that discusses the number of people reportedly bitten by snakes in the Siraha district of Nepal - more than 300 per month!!!!

The article goes on to say that most victims tend to seek treatment from local shamans (a priest or "medicine man") and only go to hospitals as a last resort - often with fatal results.

Education and training is a part of the solution, but the question of how to provide it in an effective and ongoing manner has yet to be answered.

Graphic Examples From Cambodia

Later this year Living with Wildlife is hoping to receive funding so that presenters will be able to travel to Cambodia to teach people how to greatly reduce the chance of being bitten by snakes.

I have just been looking at some graphic examples of what snake bite has done to Cambodian victims (the examples are not pleasant, but have a look at them here, here and here.

If these types of injuries are to be reduced it is imperative that the Cambodian people be given the opportunity to receive the type of training that Living with Wildlife can offer.

Fingers crossed we receive the funding.

Three Deaths In One Article

Just received advice of three separate deaths by snake bite in Nepal - everything from a 22 month old child who was bitten while playing in his house to a 73 year old man who was bitten while sleeping in his cow shed!!!!

Have a read of the article - it defies belief reading this from the comfort of my quiet suburban home!!!!

More Than Just Snakes To Worry About

I have just been reading this article from New Zealand about a marathon runner who took part in the Gobi Desert ultra-marathon in China.

The threat of snake bite was only one of many dangers these runners faced - you have to be a special type of person to even consider attempting something like this!!!

Nepalese Snake Bite Death in India

I have just been reading this article where a Nepalese worker has died from a snake bite whilst working in paddy fields in the Punjab region of India.

Another sad example of death by snake bite to the people of Nepal.

Deaths By Snake Bite In Nepal Continue!!!

Just reading this article about another person who has died from a snake bite in Nepal.

It is not until you really start looking into something that you begin to understand the significance of the problem. Prior to being told about the number of people being bitten and killed by snakes throughout Nepal I had little to no understanding of the size of the problem - my eyes have certainly been opened now!!!

With all the international aid out there I find it incredulous that there is not someone (person or organisation) who has not taken up the cause to help the Nepalese people with this problem.

The philosophical side of me screams that if we still live in a world where you risk the chance of being bitten and killed by a snake while you simply sleep in your house then as a united global nation there must be a way that we can make this change.

Perhaps this is too much to ask - if so, how sad.

Another Death By Snake Bite In Nepal

I have just been reading this article about another Nepalese person who has died from a snake bite.

A 50 year old man has been bitten while asleep in his home and when he was taken to a hospital for treatment his relatives were advised that it would better to take him to another hospital but they could not do so due to "poor economic conditions" (which I assume meant they could not afford to).

It is when you read articles like this that you really appreciate how lucky our lives really are.

Another Successful Presentation

Julian Craig from Living with Wildlife conducted another successful presentation yesterday, this time for the students and staff at the Elizabeth Downs Primary School.

We received some wonderful feedback on the presentation that we would like to share -

"Thank you so much for coming to our school yesterday. The children just loved it and we (the staff) couldn't believe how well behaved they were.

Their attention span is usually very short and to listen for over an hour is quite an achievement!

Julian - I thought you were engaging and enthusiastic and pitched it just at the right level.

The staff were impressed with the questions that their children asked and all in all it was a great success.

Thank you again."

The most satisfying aspect of these presentations is that it gives Living with Wildlife the opportunity to teach children the truth about snakes and their behaviour and we hope that through this education the stigma associated with these fascinating creatures will be taken away.

Thanks go out to Elizabeth Downs Primary School for allowing us to present to their students and staff and if there are any other schools or youth groups interested in learning more about this fascinating topic just contact us and we will be happy to arrange a presentation.

More Successful Presentations

Living with Wildlife staff are just home from a very successful trip in Western Australia where they have conducted 2 day Working with Venomous Snakes - Remote Regions courses for staff of John Holland Tunneling in Karratha and then a second Remote Regions course, this time for a composite group of attendees including staff from the Department of Environment and Conservation WA, this time held in Kensington WA, a suburb of Perth.

The feedback already received is that the courses went very well - all attendees eagerly participated in all aspects of the course and negotiations are already underway with John Holland and DEC WA for further courses to be held in the near future.

Thanks go out to all attendees of these courses - Living with Wildlife staff can present anywhere anytime, but it is only through attendee's active participation on our courses do they then become a success.

Thanks also go out to our presenters - Julian Craig and a new member of the Living with Wildlife team - Roger Jackson who also owns Naturaliste Reptile Park in WA.

As always, the feedback received from attendees was that the presenters were fantastic and their presentation skills were of the highest quality.

Snake Bite Fatality in Nepal

I have just been reading this article where a 24 year old Nepalese woman has been bitten by a snake while asleep and has died on the way to hospital.

It appears that she has left behind a 5 year old child - how terrible to die in such a manner at such a young age and what sort of a life is in store for her orphaned child - very sad.

Two Die From Snake Bite in Nepal

I have just been reading this article about two deaths by snake bite in separate incidents in Nepal.

One woman aged 50 and another aged 18 - very sad.

Another Successful Presentation

Julian Craig is back from conducting another Living with Wildlife presentation over the weekend, this time for the SA Ambulance Service in Whyalla.

The presentation was an absolute success with all participants getting a much better understanding of snakes and the way they act when confronted by humans.

Thank you to SA Ambulance Service for allowing Living with Wildlife the opportunity to give their members a better understanding of snakes and their behaviour.

If you are part of a recreational group, or perhaps you have staff that may come into contact with snakes as part of their duties, perhaps it is worth contacting Living With Wildlife to see if one of their presentations is worth attending.