Sunbathing black mamba no match for snake rescuer
Durban — A Durban snake rescuer was called out to rescue a black mamba wanting to escape from this week’s wind.
Nick Evans said that on Thursday he was called to a home where he regularly removes black mambas in Westville North.
If it was not the house he was called out to, it was the neighbour.
He said the properties are on the edge of a cliff which is a mamba habitat with a thriving dassie population which is mamba food for the young.
Evans explained that the residents are wildlife lovers and have become used to seeing black mambas.
He said that particular home almost always has black mambas in the garden near the cliff but they have caught two within the neighbour’s home.
“Yesterday (Thursday), as you can see, a large mamba nearly got into the one home!” Evans said.
“That hectic wind yesterday (Thursday) wouldn’t have pleased the snakes. I can’t think of many, if any animals, that like wind.
“Like the bush snakes were doing yesterday (Thursday), this mamba wanted an escape from the wind.”
Evans said luckily, the sliding door was closed.
“Quite an incredible sight though. I can’t imagine many people would enjoy that sighting,” Evans said.
“When I arrived, it had slipped into the neighbour’s property.”
The snake rescuer said he hates the wind because it kills frog, bird and usually snake activity.
“I also was reminded how much I rely on my sense of hearing when looking for mambas, and other snakes, in gardens,” Evans said.
“As I walked around the property looking for it, I couldn’t hear a thing thanks to that damn wind. It made me feel uneasy.”
He said one gets used to the sound of snakes moving, not that they are allowed, although larger snakes are.
“As I walked around the back, towards a sun deck (I caught a mamba on that deck once before, which had eaten a baby dassie). I thought I saw the snake coiled up in the sun next to the deck, but thought it must be a tyre. My vision is no longer that good,” Evans said.
“Then, as I neared the deck and ‘tyre’, a mamba’s head slowly rose out from behind a plant. Yes, the tyre was actually the mamba, curled up, in a sheltered position enjoying the afternoon sun.
“I was about 4m away thinking I had no chance of getting it before it dashed towards the cliff. So, I was very surprised when I walked right up to it, slowly and gently grabbed it with the tongs, and it was only then did it start resisting. But it was too late for the snake, I had it safely secured for relocation,” Evans said about rescuing the 2.7 metre-long male.
He added he was always grateful for the residents calling and the fun adventures he had there.
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