A Nigerian university has hired snake charmers following the death of a student from a snake bite.
The Umaru Musa Yar’Adua University in Katsina state has reportedly been infested by snakes, and the institution’s authorities are looking to rid them.
“Yes, we have employed the services of snake charmers to assist us in ridding the campus of snakes. Although the snake charmers just began work, plans had been in the pipeline to hire them,” The Daily Post quotes the dean of student affairs, Suleiman Kankara.
Snake charming is a common practice in the West African country.
Often, the charmers play a flute which the snakes appear to respond to. The practice entails the charmers being at very close range with the snakes.
Kankara said this was not the first time that the university was hiring snake charmers, as it had done so on other occasions before.
“We normally hire the snake charmers whenever we get [a] report of [the] presence of snakes on the campus. It is unfortunate that the lady died. We know we tried our best to prevent her death,” he said.
Though it is now employed as a safety measure, snake charming is a form of entertainment to others.
Most charmers do their trade to entertain others, often the general public, at a fee.
Source: Daily Post
