Black Mamba slithers into Clermont school’s ceiling
The venomous snake measured in at under 2m in length.
WHILE out releasing snakes, Highway’s snake expert, Nick Evans was called to a school in Clermont to remove a Black Mamba that was seen curled up on a roof beam.
“After walking past excitable, yet nervous teachers and learners along the passageway, we were led into the class, where some people were watching the mamba for us,” said Evans.
The snake, which was less than 2m in length, was curled up on a beam that was visible through a hole in the roof. Evans said he was stressed that the venomous reptile would move further into the roof or into the next classroom. He reached up with his tongs and grabbed its tail before it could attempt to flee. He reached up with a second set of tongs to secure its neck.
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“The one teacher asked if they were in danger. With the mamba being in the roof, the answer was ‘no’. It wouldn’t bother anyone up there, except the local rats. As hard as it may be to believe, mambas are scared of people and don’t want confrontation,” said Evans.
He noted that it would have been more risky if the snake had slithered into the classroom as the chances of it not being seen and stepped on would have been increased.
“If someone tried killing it, it would have been even more dangerous. Otherwise, it would just try to hide away and hope that the humans moved away. When bites occur -from any snake- it is often because someone is trying to kill or catch the snake. This shows us that mambas do not want to bite,” said Evans.
He applauded the teachers for calling for help and for keeping the learners away from the snake.
For snake removals, contact Nick Evans on 072 809 5806 or email nickevanskzn@gmail.com.
Caxton Local Media Covid-19 reporting
