This is new. A man has been denied certificate of ownership of a snake after the reptile was labelled a ‘magical’ one. The Department of National Parks and Wildlife in Zambia closed the case in which Rabson Mkandawire a.k.a Dr Simbazako who had applied for a certificate of ownership following his arrest for possession of a snake.

This means that the department will not issue the certificate to him after a consideration that what he has is not a natural occurring snake but a magical one.

According the Wildlife Act No 14 of 2015, the department’s mandate is to look after natural resources that belong to the President on behalf of the Zambian people.

There is therefore no way, it would stretch into matters of inherited snakes or hyenas or anything magical that cannot be handed-over or proved to be natural.

The department stands ready to issue out certificates of ownership to traditional healers who have real wildlife artifacts or wildlife products for their practice.