How snake safaris help Hongkongers lose their fear of the reptiles by getting up close with them
William Sargent is on a mission to change Hong Kong people’s perceptions of the much-maligned reptiles
“Snake! Snake! Snake!” is, believe it or not, what you want to hear when on safari with William Sargent.
It’s around 7.30pm on a hot Saturday in May and a group of eight snake seekers, wielding torches and wearing headlamps, have spent the past 30 minutes traipsing through the countryside around Tai Mo Shan, Hong Kong’s highest peak in the city’s New Territories. Reptiles are on the radar.
Sargent spots the first snake, about one metre long and shiny black, slithering in a grassy ditch behind an abandoned village house. In a blur he dives in, grabs it, and with only a large glove between him and the snake, casually holds it up to group members that include a Dutch couple, a British couple and three Hong Kong residents.
“OK, this is a highly toxic Chinese cobra and its venom can cause all sorts of issues, including extensive tissue damage and nerve damage,” says Sargent, Its distinctive monocled hood is down. “Feel the scales, it’s quite soft – not slimy but smooth.” He’s right.
Seeing the snake was a good thing. Earlier, during a group briefing, Sargent said the long spell of dry weather – it was day nine of a record heatwave – reduced the chance of spotting one (Sargent even had a couple of “emergency” snakes for SCMP video and picture purposes but luckily we spotted some in the wild).
“Rain brings out frogs and other potential prey, and that attracts the snakes, but it’s been very dry, the water level is low.”
“Searching for snakes isn’t an easy affair – weather and luck play big roles. If we find one snake, that’s a success, if we see more, it’s a bonus. So far we’ve always seen something on these snake safaris, but we can’t guarantee it. At worst you’ll have a night of slowly wandering [in] a lush part of Hong Kong jungle and a few [mosquito] bites, and meeting a few new interesting people.”
