Snake stories:
One morning in Manila the teenager who was guarding the next door neighbor's construction site (the process went on a while) came banging on my door, babbling breathlessly about a big snake. There was a good bit of scrub country around then (all built up now), and we had grassland behind us. No big deal, I figured, probably a python come looking for the chickens. Called Joey over and went to display my skill with snakes, which are creatures I've never been afraid of in any specific sense. Went over to the indicated posthole, with the kid from next door hanging well back (most Filipinos are terrified of snakes) and Joey (about 3 at the time) eager to run ahead. Looked in the hole. Big snake. Big cobra, in fact, neck spread out like a dinner plate. Quick retreat for further consideration. As I said, I'm not afraid of snakes in general, but large cobras do inspire a certain respect. First step is to muster a general retreat, as they will spit, and the vicinity of the hole was clearly no place to be. Contemplate methods of disposal. I'm all for animals, but one doesn't want large cobras wandering around the house. No convenient mongeese around. Hole very awkwardly placed for deployment of shotgun.
Finally dug out the reserve gas can, poured a gallon into a plastic jug, and tossed it into the hole from a safe distance, minus top. Match followed. Poof, no more snake. Pulled out remains later, just over 4 feet. Over here you're actually more likely to find cobras in built-up areas, especially on city fringes, then out in the countryside. The rats like the people, the snakes like the rats. Almost never hear of anyone getting bitten, though, if you do it's almost always because they were trying to kill the snake at the time.
Only time I ever had to confront snakebite here was during the shooting of Platoon, on one of the jungle locations. Trucks all drove up in the morning, and one of the drivers, wearing the usual rubber flipflops, climbed out of the truck and stepped on it. Morning is always the worst time, it's cool, and the snakes are too sluggish to get out of the way. The snake got him of the big toe, the guy jumped, fell, and hit his head on the truck, opening up a few stitches worth on his head. We had a doctor on the set; he came over and started working on the poor guy's head, took a while to convince him that the problem was elsewhere. Meanwhile we found & killed the snake: little stubby bright green thing with that classic pit viper head. Local boys said bad news, get him to the hospital fast. Local hospital had antivenin, but it was expired, so they had to send him all the way to Manila. By the time he got to the hospital there his leg was swollen twice its size and black; he lived, but he still limps badly.
Australia has the nastiest snakes in the world, as well as more than its share of other poisonous creatures. |
