Meserani Snake Park, The Coolest Snakes And The Coolest People

Madie And Kirsty
Lunch Time, Gaboon Viper
Green Mamba

What a fantastic place, all thanks to BJ and Ma as they are known as all over the world. It all started back in 1993.

Ma and BJ arrived from South Africa with very little, with a dream of creating something special.
We'll they certainly have achieved that. When they arrived here at Meserani there was nothing but dust, 10 acres of it, not even one blade of grass. So the first thing that had to be done was to plant some tress, and boy have those trees grown, the park is lush and green, unlike the surrounding area which is like desert. Meserani Snake park has a variety of snakes common in East Africa and Southern Africa, from the Black Mama to the Red and Black Spitting Cobra's and the African Python. Other reptiles include Monitor Lizards, Crocodiles, as big as 5 metres long. Ma and BJ have also taken on a Yellow Baboon, which was mistreated and had no where else to go, she is very cute.

The park works very well with the local Maasai people, they have provided a clinic, where the Maasai walk for miles to arrive to get treatment all free of charge, from snake bites to your common cold. The park provides anti venom for snake bite victims, and there has been a few of them lately, Puff Adder bites and they are very fatal if not treated immediately.

The clinic has so many patients now that BJ is going to build a knew one, to accommodate all the patients, there will be men's and women's quarters, showers, and rooms for doctors and nurses that sometime travel by from the western world. Alot of medication is donated from America and London, some of the medicine might have expiry dates on it so of course this cannot be used in these countries, but is perfectly fine for the Maasai as they are not use to medicine anyway, so it works well.

BJ has built a Cultural Museum, which is fantastic, I must say it is one of the most interesting Museums I have ever been to. A real Maasai will give you a personal tour threw the Museum and tell you all about their culture. Maasai men can have as many wives as they like and circumcision is still going on behind the scenes with Maasai women, even though it is illegal, it is their way and nothing is going to change that.

Meserani snake park is on the route to the Serengeti and Ngorongoro Crater, so all the overland trucks stop here with their passengers to camp and chill out for a few days or longer.

The bar sure can get pretty busy, and everyone always wants to leave something for the walls or the ceiling, whether it be a t-shirt or money or pictures, you name it its in the bar.

Overlanders can go on camel safaris to the local village. All walks of life visit the snake park, from all over the world.
All the proceeds from the Museum fund the clinic.

BJ has also started an orphanage, he has 4 kids now and I'm sure that will grow as well just like the park has. One of the orphans has just been sponsored to go off to school. It is really nice to see, at least this way you can actually see for your own eyes where the money is going, or you just pay your monthly fee to some organization and hope it makes a difference.

There is about 55 staff here, there is a Jewellery shop, sewing shop the guides for the snake park and the Museum, there are guards to protect the grounds, all the kitchen and garden staff, so it is quite a big operation. So as the park gets bigger more jobs are provided for the local people.

BJ is just in the process of building a police station, there is a road block just outside the park where the local police stop all the traffic to see whats going on.
What a great idea, build a police station, that way it keeps them around and protects the park as they are here 24/7, very clever idea.

And there is no need to get lazy while relaxing at the park as Bj has also built a Gym. And to top it off there is even a work shop here, where all the overland trucks stop to give them an over haul before taking off on there long journeys around Africa, so all the mechanics are on hand to.

I really take my hat off to Ma and BJ, 15 years and they have built a real oasis. The bar certainly has become very well known around the world, and if you happen to visit the bar be sure to try out the variety of cocktails on offer, and if you can survive a Ma's revenge as they call it then you can survive Africa.

I really enjoy living at the snake park visiting all the animals with my daughters, 12 month old twins and Steffi who is 11 she is attending the local school down the road while we are here. Very different to the schools back in New Zealand, but that is a whole new storey to tell.

It is very cool having a Mother and Father-inlaw like Ma and BJ. So I would like to say to them great stuff and well done.

Cheers
Tania Bale
Creative Vision Ebooks.Com