2.78m Black Mamba rescued from Mnandi Road
DIEPSLOOT – There was a very rare experience on Mnandi Road and you can read about it here ...
A Black Mamba measuring an astounding 2.78 metres was found close to Mnandi Road last week and, after being removed by an experienced snake handler, he will continue to call Johannesburg home.
On 17 April, the African Reptiles and Venom company received a call from a resident to remove, what she believed to be, a Rinkhals from her property. Dawie van Eeden, who has been working with snakes for 25 years, made his way to the site to remove the creature. He found it on the Scorpion Trail close to Mnandi Road.
“Black Mambas don’t occur in Johannesburg,” said van Eeden.
“Their areas of distribution are from Pondoland in the Eastern Cape, northwards through KwaZulu-Natal, Swaziland, Mpumalanga, Limpopo, North West, and the Northern Cape [in this country].”
Although it is not exactly clear how the reptile came to be in Johannesburg, the resident reported having visitors from Limpopo province and it’s possible the animal was stowed away in their vehicle. Also, because of it’s proximity to the road, it also could have been traveling in a truck transporting cargo from anywhere.
“Because the mamba has a very visible bend in his spine when we found it, we thought that his spine might be broken. We had Lynn Hepplestone from Bluehills Vet visiting and she had a look and saw that the bent spine is an old injury and [the snake could still move adequately]. Otherwise the snake’s condition appears to be that of a very healthy, fat and strong Black Mamba.”
Unfortunately, he cannot be released back in Limpopo as a permit will not be issued without knowing where exactly where he came from. He will be kept on the organisation’s farm, where he will supply venom for production of anti-venoms for medical use.
“Snakes are important in the environment as they are nature’s controllers of rodents. Every animal plays a role in the ecology.”
The company, started by Mike Perry, supplies snake-related training, snake removal and also collects venom from the animals so that anti-venoms can be manufactured.
Perry gave residents advice on what to do if they encounter a snake:
- Keep your distance from the snake, at least three metres
- If you are close to the snake, move backwards slowly and keep an eye on the animal.
- Call African Reptiles and venom, or another trusted snake removal company, to have the creature relocated by them.
Details: www.africanreptiles-venom.co.za
Also read:
https://www.citizen.co.za/fourways-review/180287/snake-strikes-in-fourways/
