A boa constrictor, approximately five meters long, was found in the middle of Montepuez city, in the southern part of Cabo Delgado, northern Mozambique, on the morning of Wednesday, January 15, by locals who were near a roundabout close to a commercial bank and the Civil Registry Service.
Residents
reported that they do not know how the animal ended up in the area, sharing
that those present, in addition to feeling fearful, questioned its presence in
the city center.
This
is the first time in recent years that the people of Montepuez have seen a boa
constrictor in the city center, though no explanation has been provided so far.
Unconfirmed
reports obtained by "Mozanorte" suggest that an unknown person might have
brought and abandoned the animal in that area.
No
authority has commented on the case as of now, but on the same Wednesday,
Municipal Police officers handled the animal in a way that did not cause too
much alarm among the local population.
To
understand more, "Mozanorte" contacted Assane Sauegi, an individual
with extensive experience in agricultural, animal, forest, and related fields,
who explained that the animal may have gotten lost while searching for a mate,
whether male or female.
"It
is a living being, and as an animal, it might have gotten lost while looking
for its mate. The animal could have lost its direction, and while searching, it
lost its bearings. Animals, especially when they reach this size, like
quadrupeds, have a very sensitive sense of smell and know that they are sought after
by humans. When they reach a large size, like lions, for example, they are
rarely captured, and they know that humans want to capture them, whether to
feed or for some other reason. So, while searching for a mate, the animal may
have become disoriented. This happens, but I am not ruling out other
possibilities," explained Assane Sauegi.
Assane
also mentioned that another important factor is that the city of Montepuez is
surrounded by mountains, which could attract such animals. "Since
Montepuez is a mountainous area, the boa constrictor may have arrived there for
that reason. These animals live in the mountains, and when they search for a
mate, they might end up crossing paths they don't usually follow. I don't see a
traditional story related to this; it is possible that this happened, with the
animal simply searching for its mate," he added.
A scientific journal called Toxicon, which studies toxins produced by microorganisms in plants and animals, revealed in 2022 that nearly 9,000 people in Mozambique die each year from snakebites.
The study, conducted in partnership with the World Health Organization (WHO), pointed out that rural areas in the provinces of Cabo Delgado, Manica, and Sofala had the highest number of snakebites. However, this figure is considered to be an underestimation. (AA)
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