Big snake causes dumsor in Ejisu
A power outage in parts of the Ashanti Region on June 11, 2025, has once again brought attention to an unusual yet persistent challenge facing Ghana’s electricity infrastructure: wildlife intrusion.
This time, the blackout was caused by a snake that entered the Electricity Company of Ghana (ECG)’s substation at Kwaso in the Ejisu area. The animal made contact between the Akyawkrom 2 feeder line and the ground, leading to an automatic shutdown of the power supply.
Although ECG’s emergency response team acted quickly and restored electricity soon after, the incident adds to a growing list of similar disruptions caused by animals interfering with critical equipment.
Collins Manu, the Public Relations Officer for ECG’s Ashanti Sub-Transmission, confirmed the cause of the outage and addressed its broader implications:
“Wildlife, especially snakes and birds, continue to pose real threats to grid reliability,” he said. “Today’s outage was brief, but it highlights why we are proactively investing in wildlife mitigation infrastructure—including snake guards, tighter sealing of cable entries, and regular habitat clearing around substations.”
Mr. Manu said ECG is not taking these threats lightly and has increased protective efforts at substations and along transmission lines. These measures include trimming overgrown vegetation, reinforcing fencing, and improving drainage systems—all aimed at making substations less inviting to snakes and other wildlife.
“Our preventive measures include trimming vegetation, reinforcing fencing, and improving drainage systems to make substations less attractive to snakes and other animals. At the same time, we continue to sensitise communities on the importance of reporting unusual activity around our assets,” he added.
His views were supported by Ing. Peter K. Fletcher, General Manager of the Ashanti Sub-Transmission operations, who stressed the role residents can play in protecting the power supply.
“Our customers are our first line of defence,” he said. “When they report early, we’re able to intervene quickly and prevent potential outages.”
Though this particular incident was resolved quickly, ECG says it is a clear reminder that the national power system is exposed not only to technical failures but also to non-technical risks, such as wildlife intrusion.
As part of its long-term plan to strengthen the national grid, ECG is increasing investment in ecological barriers and encouraging public cooperation. The goal, officials say, is to ensure a stable and reliable power supply for all Ghanaians, free from interruptions caused by unexpected wildlife encounters.