Snake sighting: Civil Defence officials getting rid of a python from a farm.
KOTA KINABALU: It has been a case of hiss and tell with residents and businesses making an average of 14 calls daily to Sabah Civil Defence officials about snakes lurking at their places.
The department received 452 such calls in January and 376 cases last month, said state Civil Defence Department secretariat and assistant director of operations Mejar Zico Sual.
He attributed this to the hot weather as the reptiles sought cool and shady areas to shelter from the sun.
“These snakes had been spotted inside the garage, farms and chicken coops. So far, they have been found mainly outside the house,” he said. Fortunately, no injuries were reported.
Kota Kinabalu recorded the most number of complaints with 71 cases in January and 64 last month.
The appearances of these reptiles were also noted in Paitan, Tawau, Sandakan, Tungku, Pitas, Kota Belud, Kota Marudu, Tuaran, Keningau, Lahad Datu and Kinabatangan.
Zico advised the public to refrain from handling the reptiles on their own and instead call the authorities for help.
Residents and property owners should stay vigilant as the hot weather is expected to persist for months.
On Feb 23, Natural Resources and Environment Minister Nik Nazmi Nik Ahmad urged the relevant departments and agencies to be ready to carry out large-scale fire suppression and cloud seeding operations to deal with the hot, dry weather and the El Nino phenomenon.
Earlier, Meteorological Department director-general Muhammad Helmi Abdullah said that the strong El Nino effect would likely continue until mid-year.
