Study Buddy (Explorer): Vipers in quarantine centre to cobra hidden in flat, Hong Kong snake catcher reveals all

[2] Sargent is one of only a handful of snake catchers in Hong Kong. So his full-time job as an events planner would have to wait. “It was near hut 55, right under the stairs,” he recalled, of one of his more unusual assignments. “If it bit someone, it would have put them in hospital.”

[3] The bamboo snake can be recognised by its bright green scales and yellow belly. It is responsible for more than 90 per cent of all snake bites in Hong Kong. There are about 100 each year.

[4] The city is home to more than 40 snake species – 14 of them are venomous. Of those, eight land-dwelling ones have potentially deadly bites. Snake season is from April to December, when hot and humid weather lure the reptiles from their nests. It has kept Sargent on his toes – while he wears flip-flops. “People always tell me off for my footwear!”

[5] “I’ve had about 30 to 40 call-outs [in 2022],” said Sargent, who also conducts night safaris for those keen to learn about the reptiles. He has removed king cobras from under shoes, behind shampoo bottles and even a Jockey Club betting centre. A worker spotted it under a desk and tracked it on CCTV. A shy creature that usually avoids humans, the venomous hooded cobra can grow up to six metres in length. A two-metre cobra hidden under bicycles was his most challenging catch.

[6] Public safety is his main motivation along with educating people about a snake’s vital role in the ecological system. They control pests and regulate rodent and insect populations. He is also focused on easing peoples’ fear of snakes. It runs deep despite the fact that Hong Kong’s last snake bite death was 30 years ago. At the time, a snake restaurant worker was bitten by an imported Russell’s Viper and died because there was no antivenom.

[7] Last August, after four years of campaigning, Sargent was the first catcher in the city granted rapid release powers. This is part of a government pilot scheme that allows him to release a snake back into the wild close to where it was found. In the past, snakes were collected by police and then moved to a local conservation centre. “It was a waste of police resources ... just to transport one snake.” The journey was also potentially harmful for the snakes.
Source: South China Morning Post, November 19

1. According to paragraph 1, why did the police call Sargent?

2. Find a phrase in paragraph 1 that means “with the ability to cause someone to lose their life”.

3. Where did Sargent have to go for the “unusual assignment” mentioned in paragraph 2?

4. According to paragraph 3, how can one spot a bamboo snake?

5. Decide whether the following statements about Hong Kong’s snakes are True, False or the information is Not Given in paragraph 4. (4 marks)
(i) They can be spotted more often between April and December.
(ii) All snake species in Hong Kong live on land.
(iii) Snakes are most active in October.
(iv) There are more than 14 different types of snakes in the city.

6. What does the “footwear” in paragraph 4 refer to?

7. Based on paragraph 5, hooded cobras ...
A. are harder to catch compared to other species.
B. like to hide under bicycles.
C. tend to stay away from people.
D. none of the above

8. According to paragraph 8, why are snakes important for the environment?

9. How were captured snakes handled in the past?

1. to get his help in catching a dangerous snake at Penny’s Bay (accept similar answers)
2. potentially deadly
3. Penny’s Bay
4. It has bright green scales and a yellow belly.
5. (i) T; (ii) F; (iii) NG; (iv) T
6. flip-flops
7. C
8. They control pests and regulate rodent and insect populations.
9. Snakes were collected by police and then moved to a local conservation centre.