Killers of snakes
\nface hard labor<\/p>\n
JAKARTA (JP): The chief of Sukajadi village in Tasikmalaya
\nregency, West Java, is threatening to punish anyone who kills
\nsnakes in the area to 10 days of hard labor in a bid to protect
\nrice fields from rat attacks.<\/p>\n
He said he has resorted to this threat because the rampant
\nkilling of snakes, the natural predators of rats, has caused the
\nrat population to become larger and larger, the Kompas daily
\nreported yesterday.<\/p>\n
Memed Sumarya, the village head, said that due to the falling
\nnumber of snakes the rat population has jumped uncontrollably,
\ndestroying large areas of rice fields.<\/p>\n
About half of the 140 hectares of rice fields in the village
\nhave been devastated by rat attacks over the last three rice
\nplanting seasons, resulting in much reduced levels of rice
\nproduction, Memed said.<\/p>\n
\"We have actually tried various methods to fight against rats.
\nWe have resorted to poison, manual killing and fumigation but
\nnothing was able to stop the rat attacks,\" he said.<\/p>\n
Local people also used to breed owls as another rat-control
\ntechnique, he said. This proved to be ineffective because the
\nlarge number of rats frightened the owls and drove them away.<\/p>\n
\"The last choice falls on snakes which through their
\nprotection are expected to naturally help cut the rat
\npopulation,\" Memed said. (hhr)<\/p>",
"url": "https:\/\/jawawa.id\/newsitem\/killers-of-snakes-1447899208",
"image": ""
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