IT WAS a usual Wednesday afternoon for Vanessa Pillay who was kept busy with work and cooking.
But when she noticed a 1.8m long green mamba stretched on her kitchen curtain, her routine was no longer ‘normal’.
Despite the recent cooler weather, a snake expert at Crocworld said it was mating season so finding a snake is not rare. The key, he said, was not to panic.
Pillay, a resident of Bakers Street in New Delhi in Sezela on the KwaZulu-Natal south coast, did just that.
She has lived in the area for around 17 years, since marrying her husband, Ben, who is originally from the area.
Pillay said they live in a sugar cane plantation area and on that particular day, they were cutting the cane.
“So we suspect the snake was disturbed. We usually come across a lot of snakes in this area, but they are small ones that we can remove ourselves.
“On this day, at around 3pm, I was busy in the kitchen cooking. My daughter, Abagail, WhatsApped me to say that she was returning home early from school. I read the message and put my phone down. That was when I noticed a long green object. It looked like a staff along the edge of my kitchen curtain.
“Out of shock, I shouted. I think the snake also got a fright because it fell into the sink and coiled around a dish. In that moment my heart began to beat fast and I started to shake. While we see snakes all the time here, they are never that big. I realised in that moment there was nothing I could do, but call Crocworld to help.”
She believed God had kept her calm and given her the wisdom not to handle the snake herself.
“I'm Christian and believe in Jesus Christ. When I think of it, God was with me that day. That snake was fully stretched out along my curtain. It must have been there for a while, but I did not notice it while I was moving about. God brought me that calm and the wisdom to stand back. I am grateful to God because I have heard that this particular snake is dangerous,” said Pillay
UNDERSTANDING SNAKES
Wade Kilian, the curator of reptiles at Crocworld Conservation Centre on the south coast, assisted the family.
He said male snakes looked for mates at this time of the year and that it was not uncommon to come across them in the home.
“In the colder months in South Africa, especially in KZN, it does not really get so cold that snakes would hibernate. So on your colder days, snakes are mostly inactive. At this time of the year, some of them will go underground where the temperature gradient is more stable. Others will take refuge in tree trunks and termite mounds, or come out to bask on warmer days.
“The reason that some male snakes are moving around now is because it is their mating season. Now you will find male mambas, male puff adders, male pythons and gaboon vipers. They are typically on the move from the end of April or beginning of May up until now, in search of mates.
“From the beginning of September until October, snakes will start becoming more active and that is when you you will start finding more of them. September to January is typically known as ‘snake silly season’ because more are found often in this period.”
Kilian says if you come across a snake: stay calm, keep a safe distance and call for help.
“If you do come across one, depending on the species and where you are, you can sweep it out if you know what you are looking at, or you can call a professional to help.
“A lot of people misinterpret their encounters with snakes because of fear. There is a lot of superstition and myths around snakes that cause misinformation. But snakes are not aggressive.”
Kilian said snakes formed an important part of the ecosystem.
“For ecological reasons, snakes should be preserved. They provide food for other animals like snake eagles, various other birds and mongoose. They help keep the prey populations in check. They are also important for medical reasons. There is a lot of medications, particularly heart medications, that are derived from snake venom, mamba venom specifically.”
He said trying to kill a snake can only land a person in danger.
“Generally, the nature of snakes is to retreat. As soon as you put it next to a bush it will retreat as long as you leave it alone.”
He said there was nothing commercially available to repel snakes.
“Jeyes Fluid does not work. Burning tyres does not work. Certain plants that are said to repel snakes, do not work,” he said.
“The best thing you can do is to keep the space around you rubble and clutter-free. Ensure your windows and doors are snake-proofed if you live in an area that has a high snake density.
“If people find snakes, keep an eye on it from a safe distance, which is about 3m, and call a professional. The African Snakebite Institute has a free App. I refer to it almost daily. If you want more information about snakes that is probably the best resource to use,” said Kilian.
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