Muusyi is not poisonous, expert says

Muusyi, a snake with white and black spots was killed today at Kalimbui in Tseikuru ward, Kitui County. The killing ignited a heated debate on social media on the “murder” of a snake without any venom.

Mwingi Times contacted Cyril Mwinzi, an experienced expert on snake and animal production. “Muusyi is not poisonous and doesn’t bite. The only poisonous Muusyi is the one which is yellowish and it doesn’t bite often. You can be bitten by a Muusyi and recover without going to hospital” he advised.

Another reader was keen to dispel the idea that the snake is not poisonous only daring those who say contrary to avail their fingers to the snake and see if they won’t be bitten and get poisoned.

“If you want to prove that the snake is not poisonous, I tell you to get closer to Muusyi and see if it won’t bite you”, he argued with a chuckle.

No poison

“All snakes are poisonous, said another reader. They bite their prey and they (the prey) die. That they do not bite humans doesn’t mean they are not poisonous,” she argued.

Denis Mutua wrote on Facebook “Huyu nyoka hananga shughuli na watu. Amekufa tu bure”. His views were echoed by Willy Tmdogo and Socks Mbili Pairmoja.

Another reader said that Muusyi is very friendly and is non-poisonous. It feeds on milk, added Antony Kimeu.

Most readers we interviewed likened Muusyi to Kyenda Ndeto. They said that the snakes come close to where people are to listen to what they are discussing.

Other readers made fun of how fast Muusyi is and wondered why it was killed and how that happened. “This ain’t poisonous aky”, wrote Louiz Tesh Trump. 

David Mengi said that the snake isn’t poisonous and it even doesn’t have teeth but it runs as fast as Usain Bolt.

“Since I was a boy, my grandfather used to tell us Muusyi doesn’t bite and has no poison”, concluded Mr Mwasya, a resident from Kaningo.

Story by MUSYOKA NGUI