The Diary Game: [2/8/2026] : The Day A Forest Cobra Almost Killed A Palm Wine Tapper On Our Farm.
Hey guys welcome to another episode of the Diary section with yours truly @jay9345 and today I will be sharing with you what happened in our farm .
THE DAY A GIANT FOREST COBRA ALMOST KILLED A PALM WINE TAPPER ON OUR FARM
Some experiences stay in your memory forever. This is one of them.
Back in 2023, we were working on our lowland farm when a popular palm wine tapper in our area, Usman, passed by to check one of his palm trees. I had given him permission to tap palm wine on that section of our farm.
For those who don't know, there are two common methods of tapping palm wine. One is from a palm tree that has been felled and is lying on the ground. The other, which is much more dangerous, involves climbing a standing palm tree to collect the fresh wine.
On that particular day, Usman had an order to supply fresh wine collected from a standing palm. Earlier, he had climbed the tree and placed his tapping jar.
As he walked past us, he greeted me in Igala.
"Umar, good morning o!"
I smiled and replied, "Attai... I go wan buy wine o."
He laughed, nodded, and continued towards the palm tree.
Less than twenty minutes later, we heard one of the loudest and most terrifying cries I've ever heard in my life.
"Yaaaaaaa!"
The scream echoed across the forest. Farmers working on nearby plots immediately abandoned what they were doing and ran towards the sound.
When we got there, we found Usman on the ground.
A cobra had struck while he was on the palm tree, spitting venom into his eye. In the panic, he lost his balance and fell from the tree.
Everyone was confused. Nobody knew what to do at first.
We immediately ran to our camp to get iodized salt because we had previously encountered a similar emergency and had learned it as part of our first-aid response. We mixed the salt with clean water and used it to rinse his face before rushing him to the Catholic hospital in Idah for proper medical treatment.
The fall left him with a dislocated joint, a broken arm, and a fractured leg. Thankfully, the palm tree wasn't very tall. Had it been one of the taller palms, the outcome could have been far worse.
As for the cobra?
Nobody dared to chase it.
That day reminded all of us that farming and forest work come with risks many people never see.
A Word to Palm Wine Tappers
If you tap palm wine in the bush or on farmland, please don't take safety for granted.
- Always inspect the palm tree before climbing.
- Watch for snakes resting inside the crown or around the tapping point.
- Wear protective clothing where possible.
- Avoid climbing alone so someone can assist in an emergency.
- Keep a means of communication nearby if possible.
- If snake venom gets into the eyes or a snakebite occurs, seek immediate medical care as quickly as possible.
No jar of palm wine is worth losing your life over.
Stay safe, and may God protect everyone who earns a living in our forests and farms.
Till my next diary guys do well to take care of yourself and stay safe i love y'all ❤️.