Kagoshima: Officers Receive Habu Snake Repelling Training; Get Tips on Finding, Catching Them
15:30 JST, April 20, 2024
AMAMI, Kagoshima — New police officers assigned to the Amami Police Station in Kagoshima Prefecture took part in a training session to learn how to deal with venomous habu snakes. The snake inhabits five of the Amami Islands, including Amami-Oshima, Tokunoshima and Kakeromajima islands.
Last year, 37 people were bitten by snakes, causing injuries. In response to requests to capture the snakes, the Amami Police Department dispatched officers a total of 20 times.
A training session was conducted with 29 officers at a tourist center in Amami on April 1. Eiryu Motoyama of the center explained habu snake biology and how to catch them.
Motoyama told the officers, “habu are often observed on nights with a light rain, where the temperature is between 22 and 26 C” and “if you hit them on the head with a stick, they will get a concussion. But stay alert even after they stop moving because they may suddenly attack.”
Following the information session, the officers were instructed on how to capture and repel the snakes with a demonstration that included a live snake.
“I would like to calmly respond to requests to capture snakes,” said officer Rika Usukubo, 19, who joined the training session on how to repel a habu with a bamboo stick.
"Features" POPULAR ARTICLE
-
Famous Weeping Cherry Tree in Full Blossom in Fukushima Pref. Town
-
Traditional Japanese Knife Store in Tokyo’s Ningyocho District Dates to Edo Period
-
Tokyo Station’s Reconstructed Domes Bring Back Prestigious Tradition; Station Building Hotel Loved by Literary Giants
-
Diamond Fuji Observed in Shizuoka Pref., Attracting Photographers
-
Vows to be ‘Ambitious’ at Hokkaido Statue Hit 100,000; Famous Quote Attributed to Sapporo Agricultural College Professor Clark Lives On
JN ACCESS RANKING
- Japan Household Spending Down 0.5% in Feb.
- China Mutes Memorialization of Reformer Hu Yaobang; Memories Could Spark Critique of Xi Administration
- Shinkansen Services Suspended After Man ‘Searches for Phone’ on Tracks; Disruption Affects About 14,000 Passengers
- U.S. 7th Fleet officer Arrested on Suspicion of Stealing Sushi, Sashimi, Chicken at Kanagawa Shopping Mall; Suspect Caught Mid-Meal
- UNRWA Director Describes Catastrophic Destruction in Gaza; Says Relief Trucks Robbed, ‘People’s Hearts Destroyed’