Ghanaian Lizards for Europe

Non-traditional exports to many Ghanaians connotes food crops like yams, handicrafts and a host of others. The list however goes beyond these as it includes reptiles like snakes, poisonous and non-poisonous alike, scorpions, wall geckos, the agama lizard and many others.

For twenty five years, this is what Mr. Jacobs Oguns' company, Oguns & Company Ltd. has been engaged in, with the support of his wife and other staff.

From his Kotobabi office he executes orders from countries like Malaysia, Japan, Belgium and South Africa. The reptiles are supplied to his outfit by trappers who are registered with the Department of Game and Wildlife. He also relies on people who rear some species of the python.

Although the business has been sailing smoothly, Jacob like other exporters wants government to help the sub sector with funds so that they can increase their output. Servicing of orders is sometimes rather difficult because of this shortage, he says.

He belongs to the Game and Wildlife Exporters Association which he said is beneficial because through it the voices of members are heard and attempts are made to solve their problems.

On other problems his company experiences, apart from the dearth of funds, he mentioned the perfidiousness of some importers abroad who overstate the number of dead animals on arrival. The animals must arrive alive for payment. He added that because exporters do not have representatives in the importing countries, reptile exporters are at the mercy of the importers.

The poisonous snakes are used in the manufacture of anti-snake serums. A few years ago some pharmaceutical manufacturing companies in Europe complained about the shortage of some species of poisonous snakes from Ghana for which they wanted suppliers.

Reptiles are also required for research in laboratories and for other educational purposes. Zoos too are outlets for some of them. Reptiles like snakes, scorpions and the agama lizard are certainly not on the endangered list and so the activities of the company are not infracting on any international wildlife conservation law.

His company has mastered the art of packaging the reptiles for export such that the death rate is reduced to the barest minimum.

He has nice words for personnel of CEPS who are part of the chain of procedures his export consignments go through at the airport. He describes them as cooperative.