Wildlife conservationist Saiyaad Ali is warning the Palmiste Park in south Trinidad may soon become dangerous as the lack of maintenance can attract venomous snakes.
He said venomous species, such as the coral which can attack people, have been seen around the park.
He was speaking to the T&T Guardian yesterday after a video, posted on Facebook, of a seven-foot macajuel (boa constrictor) was seen slithering through the park on Thursday.
Residents and people who frequent the park for leisure and exercise were worried about the presence of the snake.
A boa constrictor is large and typically boldly marked snake which kills by coiling around its prey and asphyxiating it.
However, Ali said the macajuel poses little danger to people as it would avoid human interaction but it may defend itself if threatened. He estimated the snake to be around seven feet long and warned that small animals, such as dogs and cats, could be preys. The snake is not venomous.
Councillor for the Hermitage/Palmiste district, Roland Hall, said of the 44 acres of land the Palmiste Park occupies, only 14 acres were maintained.
He said there was once a committee who oversaw its use and maintenance but it no longer existed. Since then, it has become forested and overgrown with bushes.
Ali said he was familiar with the area, especially with his group capturing five caimans from a pond in the park and releasing them into the Godineau River, South Oropouche, last April.
Days before, a Palmiste resident captured a video of a caiman snatching a puppy.
Ali said with a section of the park becoming overgrown, rats and small birds would flock to the area and predators like snakes would follow their prey.
“That area is a man-made habitat to accommodate a certain amount of wildlife and recreation. It was left to be overgrown over the years and it is in this condition now.
“Seeing that the place has become neglected to an extent, we now realise that there are a number of different types of animals that would have made it their home.
“One of the guys who works with me lives in Palmiste and he saw macajuels, rainbow boas, corals and other types of snakes, usually dead, in the road.
“The park should be cleaned, maintained and kept user-friendly because venomous snakes can hide, even human predators. It could definitely become dangerous to people who use the park,” Ali added.
He said the heavy rain on Thursday may have disturbed the snake which would have preferred a dry habitat. So far, he said, the Forestry Division of the Ministry of Agriculture had not contacted them to remove it.
However, if they went now it would be difficult to locate the snake in the large area, he added.