Growing urbanisation and snake encounters in Kumasi and Kwadaso administrative areas

In Ghana, the Ashanti Region has been a snake envenomation hotspot with over a thousand bites annually. A significant number of studies on this challenge have focused on rural and agricultural landscapes in the region, with less attention on the growing urban snake encounters and snakephobia. This study aimed to address the research gap by collecting data (socio-demographic characteristics, snake encounters, snake characteristics and snakephobia levels) from 306 households and urban environmental characteristics (vegetation cover, distance from vegetation, normalized difference vegetation index [NDVI], distance from water bodies, distance from road, elevation, and land surface temperature) from communities in the Kumasi Metropolitan Area and Kwadaso Municipal Area. The data was analysed using spatial interpolation, chi-square, binary and multinomial regression techniques. The study found that snake encounters are more prevalent in peri-urban communities, with households likely to encounter snakes with wider and longer characteristics around houses. Although encounters were low among residents in the urban core, most of the encounters were within their compounds and rooms. Determinants of snake encounters were high NDVI value, closeness to vegetation, and low elevation. Three levels of snakephobia were identified, thus low, moderate and high which was determined by ethnicity, number of encounters and snake characteristics. The study suggests that the Physical Planning Departments in the study areas create ecological corridors to promote snake movement from the city. In addition, the Wildlife Division of the Forestry Commission, the Ministry of Health and the Psychiatric Association should embark on snake education and phobia programs to reduce fear to improve urban wellbeing.