Bafulo Janko, a resident soldier in Kanilai, has called on authorities to take action and renovate Kanilai Farm for tourism purposes.
Kanilai Farm, located in the heart of Kanilai Foni Kansala district, has been a hub for reptile breeding and exotic pet zones for over decades. However, due to neglect and lack of proper maintenance since the former president’s exile, the farm has fallen into disrepair.
Mr Janko has been farming snakes on the farm for over 15 years – since the previous regime, and has also been in charge of the snakes since Jammeh’s exile. He uses the special species to entertain people, such as tourists, to contribute to national development.
One of the reasons Janko is committed to the menagerie of snake farming in Kanilai is the presence in the vicinity of the farm of Sindola Hotel, which attracts tourists from different countries and generates income for government.
Most of the time tourists would visit the farm to see the snakes and take pictures of him and the snakes.
“If I had the money and power, I would bring in more snakes, even 100s of them,” he explains. “But I cannot. This snake that I have now, I caught it last year during the rainy season and is roughly 50 kilos and three-and-a-half meters long. Its food is very expensive, I buy gunpowder and I buy fowls that it feeds on. It can swallow up to 8 of them to be well-fed. The fowl costs me D1,000, and looking at my condition, one would know I don’t have the means to sustain it.”
He added: “Subsequently, I had 46 of them before I left for Sudan. I trained some people to maintain them, but they also said they were afraid and would not look after the snake, which resulted in me leaving them all. When I came back in 2016 there was a regime change and tourists were coming to visit; so I decided to hunt three snakes but later released them because I was no longer able to meet the demand for these exotic pets.”
Due to the ill state of the farm, Janko urges the authorities and philanthropists not to relent on refurbishing it, saying getting it up and running would aid tourism in the country and support national development.
The breeding facilities are inadequate and this has led to a decline in the health and well-being of the reptiles and other animals therein resulting in a decrease in his breeding success and the loss of other animals.
Known for his bravery, Janko could handle not only snakes but also other wild animals like lions and hyenas.
If supported, he appeals, he would hunt, breed and train more wild animals for wildlife conversation and the good of tourism before his demise.
“The Kanilai farm is a valuable asset that needs to be refurbished and restored to its former glory,” Janko urges. By doing so, he added, the country would have a national zoo, which will attract tourists and even those going to Senegal to visit such sights, and the zoo would create job opportunities and contribute to the conservation of these exotic species.
In respect of this, the former minister of Tourism, now the minister for Local Government, Lands, and Religious Affairs, once stated that the president is committed to transforming Kanilai into an area of tourist attraction in his next itinerary. “We hope the promise is kept,” Janko hopes for the best.
