Every living being, humans, plants, animals have equal rights to the resources on this planet. However, it will be foolhardy to not be conscious of threats certain animals pose to the human populace, and take sustainable measures to deal with this law of nature.
With the advent of the monsoons, snakes are a common sight everywhere. Apartment complexes provide a safe alternative to their natural habitat. However, by following a few simple steps, apartment management committees can deal with this issue sustainably without compromising on Apartment Safety.
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Precautions apartment management committees can take to avoid snake nesting
- Discourage planting low dense shrubs in common area. Such vegetation are used as nesting grounds for snakes.
- Encourage regular checks of nooks and corners, gardens to ensure there are no nesting grounds. Clean common areas regularly with bleach and carbolic acid. Mow the gardens regularly to create low frequency vibrations on the ground to deter snakes from nesting underground.
- Keep pest infestation at minimum. Snakes prey on rodents, lower reptiles, like lizards and insects. Higher the rodent, reptile and insect population, higher the chances of attracting snakes.
- Keep local wildlife office contacts handy. On spotting a snake, immediately inform concerned officials who are trained and equipped to remove the snakes.
- Do NOT engage with snakes without proper training.
What To Do If You Are Bitten By A Snake?
- Seek medical attention as quickly as possible.
- Apply first aid treatment:
- Remove any jewelry or watches, as these could cut into the skin if swelling occurs, quickening the venom spread in the bloodstream.
- Keep the area of the bite below the level of the heart in order to slow the spread of venom through the bloodstream.
- Remain still and calm. Moving around will make venom spread faster through the body. Do not remove any clothes since it will only lead to unnecessary movements.
- Clean the bite wound after bleeding stops with a wet sterilised cloth or cotton and soap. Try to avoid running water on the wound until medical assistance arrives. Be sure to wipe in the direction away from the wound.
- The main goal is to administer the correct antivenom as soon as possible. Knowing the size, color and shape of the snake can help Preventions determine the best treatment for a particular bite.
- Monospecific antivenoms treat the bite of a specific type of snake, while polyspecific antivenoms can treat bites from a number of snakes found in a particular geographic region. Therefore, mentioning the region where the snake bite has occurred is mandatory.
What Not To Do In The Event of A Snake Bite?
- Don’t apply ice on the snake bite as the ice may block blood circulation.
- Don’t suck the blood out with your mouth (germs in the mouth may cause infection in the bite wound) and you may be also exposing yourself to the venom.
- Do not tourniquet any spot around the bite wound. Rather, use splints and bandages to support and tie areas lightly around bite wounds to decrease movement.
- Don’t attempt to cut the wound.
- Don’t attempt to guess whether the snake was venomous or not, based on its physical characteristics.
Prevention Is Always Better Than Cure
Snake bite is one of the most underrated causes of accidental deaths in India. The number of deaths due to snake bite, peaks in the monsoon months of June to September. While rural areas bear the brunt of the bulk of these deaths, urban areas are not spared of this unfortunate situation. However, apartment complexes have the necessary resources to ensure the prevention of snake bite related accidents. Let small workshops and seminars be conducted on weekends making residents aware of prevention measures as well as first aid measures. Posters demonstrating the do’s and don’ts in the event of snake bites can be put up on notice boards. Let every resident have access to numbers of the local wildlife boards.
We have technology and modern amenities on our side. A little advance preparation can go a long way to deal with the problem of snakes and snake bites in a sustainable manner while protecting both the animals and humans.
