Snake catcher saves python from dinner table fate
The python, which was just more than 3m in length, also had a clutch of 25 eggs.
HIGHWAY’S snake catcher, Nick Evans rescued a python mom from becoming dinner near Verulam at the weekend.
Evans was notified that a cattle herder had captured a large python but had been dissuaded from turning it into dinner by the caller.
“It is illegal to kill and eat this protected species. When the herder caught the snake, he saw eggs in the hole she had been living in. I was stressing big time as it had been fairly cool during the time she was not with her eggs. I was worried the eggs were in danger,” said Evans.
With the support of Reaction Unit South Africa, he met up with the caller and then the cattle herder.
The snake was hidden in a bucket in the bush.
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“I opened it. The snake had emptied its bowels at some point and it was now sitting in that, freezing. I pulled the filthy snake out. I became really concerned at its condition. It was extremely underweight. Not the longest either,” he said.
He noted that snakes lose weight after laying eggs, and during the more than three-month incubation process, do not eat at all.
They were led to the python’s den and the eggs could be seen from above.
“Before sticking my hand down without checking what was there, I stuck my phone down, while on record, with the light on. To the right, I could see baby pythons. The eggs had hatched! They quickly dashed down a tunnel and out of sight. I was so excited!” he exclaimed.
He began removing the eggs and realised that all 25 of them had already hatched.
The python was taken to Dangerous Creatures at uShaka for treatment as well as food.
Caxton Local Media Covid-19 reporting
