No luck for snake hunters

by BRYAN WALKER

SEARCHING FOR LARGE SNAKES on the loose in Barbados is like looking for a needle in a haystack.

This reality was brought to bear last Saturday night when a six-man search group, led by herpetologist Damon Corrie, along with a NATION team, turned up virtually empty-handed after a near two-hour foray through Joe's River, St Joseph.

Armed with knives, cutlasses, flashlights and brave hearts, the men ? Corrie, Corey Forde, Christopher McCollin, Seth St John, Cephas Edwards and Andre Cummins ? trekked through the treacherous, rocky and slippery terrain in search of a Burmese python suspected to be 18 feet long, as well as other snakes in the bushy area.

At least ten Burmese pythons, boa constrictors and other non-poisonous snakes are believed to have escaped or were freed by owners who smuggled them in as babes in the early 1990s after they became unmanageable on maturity. Sightings have been made in St Joseph, St Peter, St James and Christ Church.

The search, which began at 5:30 p.m., involved the men looking between and under large stones, through and under thick bush, in various pools of spring water, in small caves, for any tracks or marks.

The solid piece of evidence found was the smell of "fresh" snake stool. Corrie, having rared snakes for years and knowing the smell, said it showed the snake had been recently in the area.

However, as darkness set in and the terrain became more treacherous, the search was called off at 7:20 p.m.

Corrie said he was eagerly looking forward to using the army's night search equipment as this would greatly improve the chances of spotting the snakes, though this was no guarantee.

"Winston Hall could not be found by the security forces for years. A snake is 100 times harder to find than a human being," he said, adding that while skill was important in tracking snakes, half of it was luck.

Today at 10 a.m. he will be meeting with defence and security personnel at St Ann's Fort, where he will set out the requirements for a more comprehensive search. He had secured the Prime Minister's permission last month to have the Barbados Defence Force provide assistance.

Among his requests will be night vision and motion sensor equipment, "and at least two armed soldiers, just in case the snakes have to be shot, or someone gets into difficulty".

Meanwhile, Corrie reminded the public that should they see a snake, they should monitor its movement at a safe distance ? but not play hero ? and call him at 231-2975, Corey (233-8740) or Geoffrey (262-9984) right away. He added it was important people did not wait till a few days later when the snake had moved on.

Last Monday, a large black and green snake was spotted by residents in Carters Gap, Enterprise, Christ Church, under a plum tree. However, it was not reported to Corrie until Thursday, and while he and his assistants saw a six-inch-wide track in the grass, the snake had already left.

However, some people were becoming hysterical about the snakes. For example, after receiving frantic reports of a snake in Rendezvous, Christ Church, and a continuous "hissing noise" last week, when Corrie investigated, it turned out be just a small burst pipe.

* bryanwalker
@nationnews.com