Durban — A smaller-sized black mamba was removed from a Queensburgh home after it gobbled up a budgie and hid behind its cage on Monday.
Durban snake catcher Nick Evans said that his Monday ended with a call for the black mamba.
Evans said that the hungry mamba, approximately 1.9m, could not resist the smell of a budgie in an enclosed verandah.
He said that the homeowners were clever in that they had put mesh over the verandah, which was also secured by a security gate and bars, but there was a small gap under the gate which the mamba had gotten through.
“Unfortunately, it had gone into the cage, and (the) budgie did not survive. It was then disturbed by the dog, which alerted the owner. After that, the mamba moved out and hid behind the cage,” Evans said.
“Smaller mambas such as this, I find, are always more of a handful than the big ones. They’re faster, and I think, a bit more cheeky. Bit more of a tricky catch than usual, but I soon had it.”
Evans said that the bird’s owners were quite understanding, seeming to acknowledge this sad situation was perhaps part of the territory of living in a very bushy area in Africa.
He said the family did not really like snakes but they did not want to kill the snake.
“I’m glad, as then we might have had to deal with a bitten human as well,” Evans said.
“I appreciated their attitude, although I felt sorry for their loss.”
Evans explained that the natural diet of black mambas consisted of dassies, rats and birds. However, domestic animals such as caged birds, rabbits (especially when they have babies), hamsters, as well as feral kittens, provide an easy-to-catch, irresistible and alternative food source.
Daily News