The Great Primate Handshake – Volunteer in Africa, working to conserve monkeys and apes through film and educational content production

Today the Handshake travelled to a local snake and reptile park to visit an inspirational young man, who has started a conservation project rescuing injured and confiscated snakes and reptiles.

The park was not a primate conservation project, nor did it care for, or raise awareness of their demise in Africa – so you may be drawn to thinking that the Handshake shouldn’t pay attention to such projects. Instead, a message of conservation was apparent here as “the Snake Man” (Kisubwe) greeted us with a story of the centre, travelling back in time to the days in which he lived on the steets of Kampala. Kisubwe was once a street child, making an existence by taking any jobs he could find and working to get food on his plate. With a passion for nature, Kisbuwe was lucky enough to meet a snake handler and offered his services to help remove snakes from local residences houses and areas of conflict. The skills he learnt helped him to establish a centre to keep and care for the injured snakes and reptiles, some burnt in forest fires, others with machette wounds – but all now provided with a home in which to educate local people and highlight which snakes are dangerous and what to do (not killing them) when forced to remove them from their homes or residence.

The centre not only provides a refuge for snakes, but also camellions, turtles, terapins and insects. The camellion greenhouse was of particular interest, and on par with any European exhibit in a zoo or conservation center. Handshake volunteers were able to learn about Ugandan plants, habitats and wildlife in an exciting environment thanks to Kisubwe’s work setting up the wonderful centre.

We left with an understanding of conservation in Uganda, local beliefs and an understanding of snakes and reptiles and the conservation actions necessary to support their existence in the wild.

An entertaining and informative day. Not to be missed if you are ever in Uganda.