 Saint Lucia's ecosystem is one known to be very diverse. The island boasts a number of animals which are endemic to their location, including various species of reptiles. Hence, the prevalence of snakes in and around certain locales come as no surprise. On Thursday, September 21, health practitioners on the West Coast participated in a training session meant to bring awareness to snake species in Saint Lucia. Snake Health No Supervisor Yasmin Gabriel says the training is in line with plans to make the Ancelary Wellness Center, a hub for snake bite education. Ancelary Wellness Center is going to be renamed the Center of Excellence for Snake Bite Education. We do not treat snake bites in our wellness centers, but we believe that the most crucial measure in reducing fatalities from snake bites is education. So today, we are starting our education of the staff. Friday's session covered topics ranging from how to identify the snakes which are venomous and how to protect oneself. At present, Saint Lucia's snake population consists of four species, one of which is venomous. Assistant Chief Forestry Officer Pius Haynes says being able to differentiate is very important. Our training was more focused on more or less our snake identification, you know, how can we distinguish, for example, between the Saint Lucia boa and the Saint Lucia feralas, because persons have had a lot of issues identifying one from each other. Also, you know, what are some of the ecological requirements, where would you most likely encounter a feralas and a boa, and what constitutes the diet and so on. Hostages from the Ancelery, Vana and Canaries Wellness Centers were all in attendance. Health Center attendant Daniel Francis recounts her experience treating a snake bite victim. I'm an employer brought along his staff who was, I guess they were in the woods area, agriculture, and he got bitten by a snake and then we had to quickly call on the head nurse. We quickly went to him, attended to him, tried to, you know, bandage up the wound for him, but then we know we had to refer him right away. So we referred them right away to the Wen King Hospital. And while Region 7 is being viewed as a well-known snake habitat, the Forestry Division is reporting an increase in snake sightings around the island. The Assistant Chief Forestry Officer assures the public that the life-saving anti-venom, though only available at the OKEU Hospital, is always readily on hand. For the Communication Unit of the Ministry of Health, Wellness, and Elderly Affairs, I'm Sands Justin.