Snake scare in Al Nahda area

Residents of Al Nahda claim they are afraid to go out at night because of snakes and scorpions infesting piles of rubbish surrounding their highrise apartments.

Zufar Iqbal, a resident, said: "Piles of debris are lying by the side of our luxurious building but nobody is cleaning it up. They are attractive shelters for reptiles. I did not see a snake but I still cannot walk in the area at night."

He added: "I really don't know whether it is the responsibility of the municipality or the building owner."

Another resident, Amal Mohammed, a housewife, said: "One night as I was returning home from a shopping mall in the area, I saw a long snake. Terrified, I ran home and immediately complained to the Sharjah Municipality."

Amal claimed she was told: "No one is on duty now, you may call the Civil Defence.

She said the civic officer had further explained to her that the municipality had received several complaints from residents in that area about snakes, but when the workers got there they found nothing.

"The tenants should collect money and hire a private company to remove the rubbish and exterminate the snakes," the civic officer told her.

"I will not be able to go out at night until the rubbish is removed," said Amal.

A shop owner in Al Nahda lamented: "Our electricity and water bills include charges for municipality services and sewage, but as you see rubbish is there and no sanitary drainage is available in the area."

Another resident expressed fear that these snakes will find an ideal shelter in cars parked in the open next to buildings in the area.

"At night, I get into my car and check it carefully for fear of any snake hiding there," he admitted.

Official sources said that the Sharjah Municipality has a round-the-clock hotline to receive complaints from the public, pass them on to the competent sections for follow up action.

"All one should do is to call 993 and file a complaint. We move immediately for the good of the public," said a source.

"If there is debris in or by a construction site, the municipality serves a notice to the contractor to remove it. Otherwise, legal action is taken against him," he explained.

"In some cases, debris is unloaded by irresponsible truck drivers in certain areas. The civic body removes it as soon as it comes to know about it."

Health officials urged public not to panic seeing snakes. They said snakebites are rare in Sharjah.
Sources at the Al Qasimi Hospital in Sharjah said that the emergency section at the hospital receives two to three cases of venomous snakebites a year.

"Most of them are among bare-foot camel herdsmen," said an emergency physician.

"Consequences of snakebites range from mild swelling around the wound to life-threatening reactions to the venom. The severity of the symptoms largely depends on the size and species of the snake and the amount of venom it injects."

He added: "The age, size and general health of a person also determine how seriously he or she is injured by the bite. Children are usually more severely affected than adults because they receive a larger dose of venom relative to their body size.

"Most people who are bitten by venomous snakes suffer pain and swelling within minutes of the bite. In some cases, they experience weakness, vomiting and confusion. Occasionally, snakebites can result in shock, and even death.

"In recent years, first aid for snakebites has been radically revised to exclude measures that actually endanger the safety of victims.

"It is not necessary to cut the skin over the bite or to suck out the venom with your mouth. Incision and suction of wounds has not been shown to improve the outcome of snakebite victims.

"A wide, flat band can be tied between the bite site and the victim's heart. Try to keep the victim calm and still, and get to the nearest hospital as quickly as possible. Emergency doctors will welcome an accurate description of the snake," said the physician.

"If you do kill the reptile responsible for the bite, keep in mind that it can still hurt you. Because their strong jaw reflexes can persist for up to an hour after death, some snakes can inflict dangerous bites even after being bludgeoned, shot or decapitated."

He added that a tetanus shot and, if necessary, intravenous fluids will be administered.

"A snakebite victim may be asked to stay in hospital for several hours, so that his or her condition can be monitored. Antivenin therapy is not always given, since the medication sometimes poses a greater risk than the snakebite itself."

Seventeen species of snakes have been collected and identified in the UAE. Of these, four are sea snakes.

Most vipers, when approached, make a loud hissing sound by rubbing their serrated scales in opposite directions. If you hear this sound, stop, look around, and move cautiously away.

Prevention is better than cure. Never walk around barefoot, with open shoes, or bare legs when camping on sandy or gravelly desert, or in wadis, especially at night. Carry a torch.

Vipers usually move with a side-winding motion, which leaves a series of offset parallel lines. Some snakes make a straight, continuous S-shaped sideways undulating track.

The good news is that most snakes do not bite unless they feel threatened. No matter how much you fear snakes, it is comforting to know that they probably fear you even more.