Wonders indeed they say shall never end. A man in Ghana has been selling snakes to people, making a living out of it for the past two years to the shock of many Ghanaians who fear the reptile and consider it as a bad omen.
Generally speaking, the Ghanaian society considers snakes as dangerous and bad reptiles and it is even unimaginable one can have such an idea to be selling snakes as a professional job.
The man identified as Enoch Martey by local reporters usually does his business of selling the snakes at a very strategic highway in the Ghanaian capital, Accra where lots of motorists and pedestrians use to their work places in the morning.
He positions himself in such a way that he is attracted to people, with the snakes comfortably hanging loose on his arms and neck as he waits for potential buyers. The way in which the snakes are glued to him make many wonder why such a dangerous reptile can be hanging on his body without biting or harming him.
Those who have seen Martey with the snakes testified that, occasionally, the snakes could be seen lifting their heads, flicking their tongues and wriggling and Martey will be shouting to attract buyers who happen to be passing by either in cars or on foot.
According to in-depth report by local media, the 38-year-old Martey is a former trapper with the Ghanaian Game and Wildlife Division of the Forestry Commission where he and his colleagues worked as snake trappers for 11 years. They used to trap the snakes and the snakes were exported abroad by the Ghanaian government.
But somehow, life became unfair to him as he lost his job as a trapper and he thereafter decided to utilize his skills to continue to trap the reptiles, this time, not for the government but for his private interest in order to survive.
In an interview with the Ghanaian weekly paper-The Mirror,Martey said he has been trapping snakes such as Royal Pythons, cobras and others, and has been selling these dangerous snakes to customers who are in need of these snakes for various purposes.
He said most people think he has gone for a special spiritual power or charm but contrary to that perception, the only things he uses to catch the snakes are hoe and a schoolbag. He keeps the snakes in the schoolbag after successfully catching them.
For areas in Ghana where he traps the snakes, he travels across the length and breadth of the country where he can trap more of the reptiles and sometimes even crosses the Ghanaian border into Togo to hunt for the snakes. Togo shares border with Ghana in the East and it is about some 150KM from the Ghanaian national capital.
Martey is not just trapping the snakes. He even goes further. He gathers their eggs which he keeps safely till they hatch and he looks after the neonates (baby snakes) till the reach a stage where he could sell them to potential buyers.
His job as a snake seller has opened him up for ridicule among friends and even from his own family members who do not understand why he is engaging in such a venture.
“Because of this business, a lot of my friends and even my own family members think I am mad but the only person who really understands me and my kind of job is my wife. She appreciates what I do and we live happily as a family without hearing those painful comments I hear from other close relatives and friends”, he said.
For the price, it ranges from $20 to $150 depending on the size and the type of snake one needs. He explained that people buy the snakes for various reasons including using them for magical purposes but that is never a worry to him.
“People buy snakes for various reasons. Some patronize it for food, keep them as pets, or use them for magic and shows but I am not interested in what you are using it for. Once you can pay the price, I sell to you without being inquisitive as to what you are going to do with it. That is none of my business. I need my money to survive”, Martey explained.
The highest sale Martey has made since he began his private business of selling the snakes is $500. He made this fortune in February this year and he still looks forward of making such a sale.
“That day, I was very happy. The sale was unbelievable and I went home with that amount thanking my starts. I am not planning to quite the business so I am always praying of making such sale so that I can responsible take care of my family”, he added.
Martey’s story spread like bush fire when it was published by local media. Many people wondered whether Ghana’s law permitted him to trap the snakes in that manner. But this was clarified by the Game and Wildlife Division of the Forestry Commission.
“Hunters are aware that there are laws in Ghana, and each animal species comes with a price. Anyone who wants to engage in wildlife business must obtain a license, so if he has a license then, he can continue his business without somebody confronting him”, Deputy Public Relation Officer, Joseph Yaw Oppong told local media.
Martey is continuing his snake selling business. But for many Ghanaians, it is strange and weird and he is considered as a mysterious person with some sort of magical power.
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Good story but quite a few typos. 🙁
but if someone want to buy some where is he located or where is his telephone number!!