HELLO HIVE
Farming is a profession that is often seen as a peaceful and rewarding way to live with wide open fields, fresh air and a strong connection to nature but the Truth is working on the farm exposes farmers to a lot of dangers many of which are as a result of encounters with dangerous wildlife, farms house some of the most dangerous species as well as the less threatening species of wildlife however some sudden unpredictable encounters makes you question whether farming is a truly safe working environment.
While weeding on my farm I had an encounter that made me pause and reflect on the inherent risk we face as farmers. I have had so many encounters with snakes but this encounter was different because of how close I was to the snake stepping on it and the size of the snake.
While I was weeding the groundnut farm I extended the weeding to the boundaries of the farm which was a little bit bushy and while I was busy weeding the snake was right underneath the grass the lack of reaction from the snake would have put me in danger at that moment because I couldn't see it because of the height of the bush is what I can't still explain but thankfully I was able to sight and take care of the situation.
Snakes in particular are a common presence in farms because of the abundance of food sources like rodents in one way they help to control rodent activities as long as there are no encounters with farmers.
How safe is farming as a profession?
It is not just wildlife that poses a threat to farmers there are situations of Physical injuries from livestock, heavy and small machinery accidents and exposure to chemicals so the idea of completely avoiding these accidents is unrealistic.
But we can try to be more vigilant, put on protective gear when needed and keep grasses and vegetation low that way we reduce such risk.