I suppose today’s photo should have been of a bee in light of today’s blog title as well as the whole theme of today, but I have far better photos of other creatures to grace this page with. First things first, and I’m sure you’re desperate to know Dear Reader, that I still don’t have a data connection for my phone but as I have access to free wifi it’s not that much of an imposition.. in fact I’m really rather calm about the situation which is a little odd… perhaps I don’t rely on the data services on my phone as much as I think I do either that or I’m glad of the peace and quiet it’s given me!
I read a really interesting article today about one of the scariest snakes I’ve ever been close to, the Black Mamba. I’m sure I’ve written about this snake before, how there are only two snakes I feel intimidated by, the Black Mamba and the King Cobra. Unlike the multitude of serpent varieties, these are the only two you ever feel are looking directly at you, and are sizing you up as potential prey or predator – there’s a definite consciousness about them (similarly with birds of prey, I find only the Steller’s Sea Eagle shows any sort of intelligence when in their proximity (the others do, but they’re shy and wait for humans to be out of sight)). Well, it appears as well as being incredibly dangerous and scary, the Black Mamba might soon be helping the medical industry though not in a “hands on” capacity (boom boom). Scientists have extracted components from the venom of this highly toxic snake who’s painkilling capacity is as powerful as morphine but without the side effects of this widely used analgesic.
I’ve ranted on before how the passing of each plant, bird, animal, and reptile species from the face of this earth – we could be missing out on resources that could cure any and every human ailment. Having said that I don’t like the idea of man exploiting nature for his own ends any more than he already does. Mind you, it’s a brave man who tries to exploit a Black Mamba, and a lucky one who lives to tell the tale!
