Durban — A Durban snake catcher was spared the task of searching for a black mamba that was spotted on a fence before bougainvillea shrub before it slithered onto the neighbour’s roof.
Nick Evans said it was a pretty quiet week for him so he was excited to get out to catch a black mamba in Dawncliffe, Westville on Sunday afternoon.
He said the dogs alerted the homeowners to the mamba which was slithering along the fence, towards the home, from the bush below.
He said that nervous at the sight of dogs and humans, the mamba moved into a large bougainvillea, while the owners locked their dogs away.
Evans appealed to homeowners to always lock away their dogs when a mamba was on a property.
“Bougainvillea are one of my worst plants to find a snake in. Apart from being dense, they're full of thorns. Fortunately, I spotted the snake at the top of the shrub, making its way into the neighbour’s roof, so I didn’t need to search in the shrub,” Evans said.
“Luckily for me, I had my 1.8m African Snakebite Institute tongs with me, allowing me to reach it just in time. Using my 1m tong as well, I managed to get it onto the staircase I was on and pinned it down.”
Evans said it was quite a sluggish snake, with an old injury that was about fully healed, and just under 2m in length.
He thanked the residents for calling him and for the pictures.
Two weeks ago, Evans started his day off with a 6.30am mamba call.
He said that at this time of year, it was uncommon to get a call for a mamba so early, as it is a bit chilly for them.
Evans said that in this case, a pile of cardboard had been stored outside of a home in Reservoir Hills, for recycling purposes.
He said that a truck arrived bright and early to collect the cardboard, and while picking up piles of it, they uncovered a 2.3m +- black mamba.
Evans said that the cardboard made for a great resting spot for the snake.
“This is the second mamba I’ve caught at this particular property. The home borders a large patch of bush, and so the residents, a lovely bunch of people, are quite used to snakes,” Evans said.
“What a great way to start a day.”
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