Durban — A 2.2m black mamba was rescued from a home in Trenance Park recently.
Reaction Unit South Africa (Rusa) spokesperson Prem Balram said that a female black mamba was captured on a property on Hemlock End in Trenance Park on Friday afternoon.
Balram said that the owner contacted Rusa at approximately 7.09pm after he noticed the reptile in his yard. Reaction officers were dispatched to the property and on arrival interviewed the resident.
“The description provided led Rusa members to believe that the snake was a black mamba. Professional snake rescuer Jason Arnold was contacted and on arrival he located the 2.2m snake in building blocks stored next to the house,” Balram said.
“He captured the reptile, which will be relocated to a more suitable location.”
In the video, Arnold said it was quite a big snake but relatively small for a mamba.
Arnold, while standing on top of the building material, was trying to remove the snake from in-between building materials.
After some time he pulled the snake up with his grab stick.
He said the snake was over 2m long.
“It’s amazing how such a big snake can hide in such a small space,” Arnold said.
He suspected the snake was a girl and confirmed it with a quick look.
Arnold confirmed that he would set the snake free, far from people.
Meanwhile, on Thursday last week, a 2m black mamba bolted into a house and slithered up and down a Christmas tree before hiding behind a speaker in Queensburgh.
Durban snake catcher Nick Evans said that Santa left him an early Christmas present under someone else’s Christmas tree.
“Well, actually, the snake was outside when it was disturbed by the gardener. It then moved away from him, out of fear, saw the open door, and ducked inside. From there, it went up the Christmas tree and on to a small shelf above it,” Evans said.
“Then, while I was on my way, it slithered back down the tree, and hid at the bottom, behind a speaker.”
Evans said that he wished the snake had waited for him on the tree, it would, he said, have made for some cool photographs.
“I picked it up from where it was hiding, with the tongs, lifted it over the wires and things that could get knocked over, put it on the lounge floor and pinned it down,” Evans said.
He said the snake was about 2 to 2.1m, with a bit of its tail missing.
“Quite a relaxed specimen despite its ordeal,” Evans said.
He said that the family were rather shocked.
“It’s one of the more amusing places I’ve found a mamba. I’m sure many of you reading this have thought of jokes about this scenario,” Evans joked.
Daily News