Saudi snake catcher breaking stigmas with Baha conservation group

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Some snake species are diurnal, such as the Arabian cobra, the braid snake and the hissing snake, while others are nocturnal, due to their slow movement and inability to climb. (Supplied)
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Some snake species are diurnal, such as the Arabian cobra, the braid snake and the hissing snake, while others are nocturnal, due to their slow movement and inability to climb. (Supplied)
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Some snake species are diurnal, such as the Arabian cobra, the braid snake and the hissing snake, while others are nocturnal, due to their slow movement and inability to climb. (Supplied)
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Updated 15 August 2021
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Saudi snake catcher breaking stigmas with Baha conservation group

  • Animal behavior expert captures the slithery creatures in an attempt to protect and conserve them

MAKKAH: For a little over 30 years, residents of Baha in the southwest part of Saudi Arabia have sought the help of a local cobra catcher who shares a unique bond with the slithery creatures, while also trying to protect them through conservation and awareness efforts.

Hamza Al-Ghamdi, an animal behavior expert and a longtime conservationist, has caught snakes in the region for “as long as I can remember” due to his unique charm and technique.
He captures snakes in an attempt to protect and conserve them, and in the process tries to correct the damaging stereotype that all snakes are dangerous, venomous and will leave a human dead within 30 minutes.
The truth is, “snakes are shy and would rather escape than confront people,” Al-Ghamdi told Arab News.
A native of the southwestern mountainous region, he said that there are 45 species of snakes from seven main families in the Kingdom. Some are rare, while others can be found easily, but the distribution of species around the Kingdom depends on climate, terrain and the availability of prey, he added.
“Some of the most venomous snakes found in the Kingdom are the Arabian cobra, a venomous snake that is endemic to Arabian Peninsula, the puff adder and the horned desert viper, and there are also those that are mildly venomous, such as the hissing snake and braid snake,” said Al-Ghamdi.
The average size of the Kingdom’s snake species ranges between 55 and 75 centimeters in length, Al-Ghamdi added. He stressed that common fears surrounding snakes are “exaggerated” and called on people to protect and conserve them, especially through education and handling lessons, which can change people’s opinions of the slithery creatures.


He said that smaller snakes are “clever camouflagers,” often ignored by humans due to their size or color, leading some to believe that they are earthworms. “There are also two species of boas that are known as the burrowing serpent, as well as the atractaspidae family that includes the most dangerous venomous snake — a small black but deadly one.”
He said that snakes are often found in agricultural areas, and near bodies of water and poultry farming sites, especially pigeon farms. They are attracted to the smell of their prey, which include mice, baby pigeons and bird nests. But Al-Ghamdi said that cats enjoy killing snakes near residential areas, with the two animals being “sworn enemies.”

IhopeI manage to create an exhibition to present these species in our region, in order to promote awareness for visitors, spread knowledge to interested people and preserve these rare species.

Hamza Al-Ghamdi

His connection with snakes is a special one found in many snake catchers, he said, telling Arab News how he has an “emotional communication” with them, and how his time caring for them helped him reach “higher levels of concentration while performing tasks.”
Al-Ghamdi said that some snake species are diurnal, such as the Arabian cobra, the braid snake and the hissing snake, while others are nocturnal, due to their slow movement and inability to climb.
And statistically, snakes pose a tiny threat to the Kingdom, he added, with snake bite numbers being relatively low and usually limited to people who carelessly try to catch them — often men and children. “I was bitten several times while handling snakes throughout 30 years and catching more than 500 cobras in that time,” he said.
Al-Ghamdi believes that cobras are some of the most “highly evolved and fascinating creatures.” He said that attempting to kill a snake puts people in danger, and as predators, they will defend themselves if threatened. “They’ll snap and continuously try to bite if they feel you’re trying to kill them.”
Only about one in five of the world’s snake species are venomous, with most snakes encountered by people being harmless and in fact beneficial, playing an important role in balancing the ecosystem. Predators by nature, snakes help protect agriculture by catching and killing rodents, which are major culprits in destroying crops and causing damage.

HIGHLIGHTS

• A native of the southwestern mountainous region, Hamza Al-Ghamdi said that there are 45 species of snakes from 7 main families in the Kingdom. Some are rare, while others can be found easily, but the distribution of species around the Kingdom depends on climate, terrain and the availability of prey.

• The average size of the Kingdom’s snake species ranges between 55 and 75 centimeters in length, Al-Ghamdi said. He stressed that common fears surrounding snakes are ‘exaggerated’ and called on people to protect and conserve them, especially through education and handling lessons, which can change people’s opinions of the slithery creatures.

Though he continues to try to educate nearby residents, there is still a common misconception that all snakes are harmful to humans. On the contrary, Al-Ghamdi said, they prefer to flee over risking a potentially dangerous encounter.
“I established a nonofficial group to hunt snakes that Baha citizens inform us about in their homes or farms, and we create awareness-raising videos about the importance of these species, especially the Arabian cobra that only lives in the Kingdom, Oman and Yemen. It is a distinct species that must be preserved,” he added.
“I hope I manage to create an exhibition to present these species in our region, in order to promote environmental awareness for visitors, spread knowledge to interested people and preserve these rare species. We often warn against handling snakes and underestimating their capability, and recommend leaving them alone. If snakes find an escape, they will flee and simply leave you alone without attacking.”


Nintendo says its new Switch 2 console will be released in 2025

Updated 17 January 2025
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Nintendo says its new Switch 2 console will be released in 2025

  • The initial reaction to the Nintendo Switch 2 was lackluster, and the company’s Tokyo-traded shares slumped 4.3 percent on Friday

LOS ANGELES: Gaming giant Nintendo revealed its newest console Thursday in a highly anticipated announcement gamers had been waiting for since rumors of its release first spread years ago.
But the initial reaction to the Nintendo Switch 2 was lackluster, and the company’s Tokyo-traded shares slumped 4.3 percent on Friday. Nintendo’s shares had surged to a record ahead of the announcement.
The successor to the Nintendo Switch system will be released this year, the promotional video says.


In the video, Nintendo showcases a larger version of the Switch that looks similar to its predecessor. It also shows the system’s controllers, or Joy-Cons, will attach to the side of Switch 2’s main unit rather than slide in.
The Nintendo Switch 2 will play Switch 2 exclusive games, as well as both physical and digital Nintendo Switch games. Some Nintendo Switch games may not be supported on or fully compatible with Nintendo Switch 2, the company said.
The announcement did not provide many details on the console. Nintendo says more information about the system will be available during the company’s April Nintendo Direct event. The Kyoto-based game developer said it will also host “Nintendo Switch 2 Experience” events in several countries, where players can get a hands-on experience with the new system.
Those events are planned for cities such as Los Angeles, New York, London and Paris beginning in April. Ticket registration for those events begins Friday, Nintendo said.


Young gorilla rescued from aircraft hold recovers at Istanbul zoo

Updated 13 January 2025
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Young gorilla rescued from aircraft hold recovers at Istanbul zoo

  • Both gorilla species — the western and eastern gorillas, which populate central Africa’s remote forests and mountains — are classified as endangered by the International Union for Conservation of Nature

ISTANBUL: A young gorilla rescued from a plane’s cargo hold is recovering at an Istanbul zoo, officials said on Sunday, while wildlife officers consider returning him to his natural habitat.
The 5-month-old gorilla was discovered in a box on a Turkish Airlines flight from Nigeria to Thailand last month. After a public competition, he has been named Zeytin, or Olive, and is recuperating at Polonezkoy Zoo.

“Of course, what we want and desire is for the baby gorilla … to continue its life in its homeland,” Fahrettin Ulu, regional director of Istanbul Nature Conservation and National Parks, said Sunday.

“What is important is that an absolutely safe environment is established in the place it goes to, which is extremely important for us.”
In the weeks since he was found, Zeytin has gained weight and is showing signs of recovering from his traumatic journey.
“When he first came, he was very shy. He would stay where we left him,” said veterinarian Gulfem Esmen.
“He does not have that shyness now. He does not even care about us much. He plays games by himself.”

FASTFACT

The 5-month-old gorilla was discovered in a box on a flight from Nigeria to Thailand last month.

Both gorilla species — the western and eastern gorillas, which populate central Africa’s remote forests and mountains — are classified as endangered by the International Union for Conservation of Nature.
As Istanbul emerges as a central air hub between continents, customs officials have increasingly intercepted illegally traded animals.
In October, 17 young Nile crocodiles and 10 monitor lizards were found in an Egyptian passenger’s luggage at the city’s Sabiha Gokcen Airport.

 


Meta nixes diversity and inclusion program as it prepares for second Trump administration

Updated 11 January 2025
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Meta nixes diversity and inclusion program as it prepares for second Trump administration

MENLO PARK, California: Joining companies such as John Deere and Walmart, Facebook and Instagram’s parent company Meta Platforms Inc. is getting rid of its diversity, equity and inclusion program that includes hiring, training and picking vendors, a company spokesperson confirmed on Friday.
The move, which was first reported by Axios, comes on the heels of the social media giant’s decision to end its third-party fact-checking program and scale back policies on hate speech and abuse.
Citing an internal memo sent to employees, Axios said the Menlo Park, California-based tech giant said the US Supreme Court “has recently made decisions signaling a shift in how courts will approach DEI. … The term ‘DEI’ has also become charged, in part because it is understood by some as a practice that suggests preferential treatment of some groups over others.”
In practice, this means Meta will no longer have a team focused on diversity and inclusion and the company said it will instead “focus on how to apply fair and consistent practices that mitigate bias for all, no matter your background.”
The company will also end it’s “diverse slate approach” to hiring, which meant that a diverse pool of candidates was considered for every open position.
Other companies that have ended DEI programs recently include McDonald’s, automaker Ford, Walmart and farm equipment maker John Deere.


US citizen denied entry into Poland after security staff object to handwritten notes in passport

Updated 08 January 2025
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US citizen denied entry into Poland after security staff object to handwritten notes in passport

  • The unidentified passenger arrived at Krakow’s Balice airport on a flight from London
  • She will remain at the airport for a return flight to London on Thursday

WARSAW: A US citizen has been blocked from entering Poland because her passport was defaced with handwritten notes, border officials said Wednesday.
The unidentified passenger arrived at Krakow’s Balice airport on a flight from London shortly after midnight, according to Justyna Drozdz, a local border security spokeswoman.
The woman was stopped at passport control because her document contained handwritten notes of locations and airport names under visa stamps from the countries she had visited.
The woman told border security staff she was unaware it was not permitted to write on passports or ID documents, Drozdz told Polish news agency PAP.
She will remain at the airport for a return flight to London on Thursday.
As a general rule, it is not permissible for the holder to write in a passport other than to provide a required signature and emergency contacts. Airlines and immigration officials often deny boarding or entry if they feel a passport has been damaged or defaced.
It was not clear why border officials elsewhere had not questioned the woman about her passport.


Iraqi archaeologists piece together ancient treasures ravaged by Daesh

Updated 08 January 2025
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Iraqi archaeologists piece together ancient treasures ravaged by Daesh

NIMRUD: A decade after jihadists ransacked Iraq’s famed Nimrud site, archaeologists have been painstakingly putting together its ancient treasures, shattered into tens of thousands of tiny fragments.
Once the crown jewel of the ancient Assyrian empire, the archaeological site was ravaged by Daesh fighters after they seized large areas of Iraq and neighboring Syria in 2014.
The precious pre-Islamic artefacts destroyed by the jihadists are now in pieces, but the archaeologists working in Nimrud are undaunted by the colossal task they face.
“Every time we find a piece and bring it to its original place, it’s like a new discovery,” Abdel Ghani Ghadi, a 47-year-old expert working on the site, told AFP.
More than 500 artefacts were found shattered at the site, located about 30 kilometers (19 miles) from Mosul, the city in northern Iraq where IS established the capital of their self-declared “caliphate.”
Meticulous excavation work by Iraqi archaeologists has already yielded more than 35,000 fragments.
The archaeologists have been carefully reassembling bas-reliefs, sculptures and decorated slabs depicting mythical creatures, which had all graced the palace of Assyrian King Ashurnasirpal II nearly 3,000 years ago.
Seen from above, the pieces of the puzzle gradually come together. Shards of what just several years ago was a single artefact are placed side by side, protected by sheets of green tarpaulin.
Bit by bit, the image of Ashurnasirpal II appears on one bas-relief alongside a winged, bearded figure with curly hair and a flower on its wrist, as the restoration brings back to life rich details carved in stone millennia ago.
Another artefact shows handcuffed prisoners from territories that rebelled against the mighty Assyrian army.
Partially reconstructed lamassus — depictions of an Assyrian deity with a human head, the body of a bull or a lion and the wings of a bird — lay on their side, not far from tablets bearing ancient cuneiform text.

“These sculptures are the treasures of Mesopotamia,” said Ghadi.
“Nimrud is the heritage of all of humanity, a history that goes back 3,000 years.”
Founded in the 13th century BC as Kalhu, Nimrud reached its peak in the ninth century BC and was the second capital of the Assyrian empire.
Propaganda videos released by IS in 2015 showed jihadists destroying monuments with bulldozers, hacking away at them with pickaxes or exploding them.
One of those monuments was the 2,800-year-old temple of Nabu, the Mesopotamian god of wisdom and writing.
IS fighters wreaked havoc at other sites too, like the once-celebrated Mosul Museum and ancient Palmyra in neighboring Syria.
The jihadist group was defeated in Iraq in 2017, and the restoration project in Nimrud began a year later, only to be interrupted by the Covid-19 pandemic and restart in 2023.
Mohamed Kassim of the Academic Research Institute in Iraq told AFP that “until now, it has been a process of collection, classification and identification.”
About 70 percent of the collection work has been completed at the Assyrian palace site, with about a year’s worth of fieldwork left before restoration can begin in full force, said Kassim, noting it was a “complex operation.”
His organization has been working closely with Iraqi archaeologists, supporting their drive to “save” Nimrud and preserve its cultural riches, through training sessions provided by the Smithsonian Institution with financial support from the United States.

Kassim said that the delicate restoration process will require expertise not found in Iraq and “international support” due to the extent of the “barbaric” destruction in Nimrud.
“One of the most important ancient sites of the Mesopotamian civilization,” according to Kassim, Nimrud is a testament to a golden age of “the art and architecture of the Assyrian civilization.”
The site was first excavated by archaeologists in the 19th century and received international recognition for the immense lamassu figures that were taken to Europe to be exhibited in London’s British Museum and the Louvre in Paris.
Other artefacts from Nimrud have been on display in Mosul and Iraq’s capital Baghdad.
The site has also attracted figures like British author Agatha Christie, who visited there with her archaeologist husband.
On a recent tour of Nimrud, Iraq’s Culture Minister Ahmed Fakak Al-Badrani hailed the “difficult” work carried out by archaeologists there, collecting broken pieces and comparing them to drawings and photographs of the artefacts they attempt to reconstruct.
The vast destruction has made it impossible, at least for now, to ascertain which antiquities were stolen by Daesh, the minister said.
And the process will take time.
Badrani said he expects that it will take 10 years of hard work before the marvels of King Ashurnasirpal II’s palace can be seen again, complete.