Don’t kill forest animals

HEAVY rainfall may wash forest animals out of their habitat and push them nearer to residential areas as they search for food.

Senior game warden Steve Seepersad issued a reminder to the public not to kill these animals, but to contact wildlife authorities to retrieve and return them to their habitats.

The appeal was made after game wardens on Tuesday responded to a call from a Sangre Grande homeowner where a red-tailed boa, locally known as a macajuel, was found in a chicken coop after heavy overnight showers.

Seepersad said the heavy rainfall will lead to the surfacing of snakes and other animals, which do not pose a threat but need assistance to return to their natural environment.

He commended the homeowner for seeking out assistance rather than taking matters into her own hands.

“The macajuel that was spotted (Tuesday) morning was retrieved, relocated and released in a safe area, so this time there was a happy ending. We are grateful to members of the public who take this course of action.

“These animals are protected and we urge the members of the public who find creatures such as snakes on their premises to call the wildlife authorities for them to capture them and release them safely to the wild. Do not let the first instinct be to kill,” said Seepersad.

The boa constrictor is indigenous to Trinidad and it feeds on small rodents and birds.

The senior game warden said the one that was found in Sangre Grande was approximately four-and-a-half-feet (1.4 metres) long and about 18 months old.

“It was found in the ceiling of the chicken coop. It was discovered before it got a chance to hunt. It was wrapped around a winch that is used for the distribution of the chicken feed. It was simply in search of food,” he said.

“The general phobia is that snakes are dangerous and the first thing to do when you see a snake is to kill it. This is not so. Snakes are protected animals, and they may be harmless unless cornered when their instinct is to fight back.

“Only the venomous snakes are the ones that you can kill on your private property, not on State land. These venomous snakes are both species of mapepire and both species of coral.

“Snakes such as the macajuel and rainbow boas are known as “rat snakes” and have no venom. The authorities such as the Wildlife Section of the Forestry Division should be contacted and alerted if these creatures are found on the property,” said Seepersad.

He said that in recent years, there had been an increase in advertisements for the sale of wildlife on social media.

On Sunday, Seepersad confronted a man from Cascadoux Village, Ortoire, Mayaro, who had posted a green anaconda for sale for $1,000.

Seepersad, together with police officers, met the man and the animal was seized.

The snake was approximately 11 feet (3.4 metres) long and weighed just over 60 pounds (27 kilogrammes).

“The man claimed he found it in his agricultural garden and caught it. It is quite possible that if he hadn’t done that, someone else would have killed it because it can appear to be very intimidating.

“I commended him for saving its life, but I educated him on the law as it related to snakes and anacondas in Trinidad. The snake was retrieved, was examined by a veterinarian and released into an area close to its habitat,” he said.

The Wildlife Section of the Forestry Division can be contacted at 225-3835.

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