LOCAL snake catcher, Nick Evans had a busy day yesterday, Thursday, December 9, as he rescued numerous Black Mambas, one of which was spotted up a tree in Westville North.
According to Evans, the reptile was discovered by the gardener and both the gardener and domestic worker kept an eye on it until he arrived.
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Evans noted the snake stayed in the tree as the property had dogs and the situation could have become problematic if it slithered down.
“I climbed up the tree and the mamba didn’t move. I wanted to grab it ASAP. No, not just because I was in a rush. If it tried to flee from me, the easiest way would be to move down into the next few small trees/shrubs, and into the neighbour’s garden,” Evans stated.
The snake had wrapped itself around a branch. He grabbed the snake and, for a while, tried nudging the tail with a second tong in an attempt to get it to loosen its grip.
“Eventually, after getting my one hand around the head, I got a second hand on further down the body and could pull it a bit more. It was such a struggle. I didn’t want to pull too hard, of course, whereby I might injure it. But, at the same time, I just wanted this to be over. The tree wasn’t the strongest, and my hands were getting tired,” he said.
With the snake safe and secure, Evans faced a new dilemma: to get down the tree with the deadly snake in his hands.
“The gardener, an absolute star, set up a ladder for me, that I managed to get onto. He was such a massive help!” said a grateful Evans.
After this rescue, Evans travelled to Dawncliffe where he assisted a fellow snake catcher retrieve another Black Mamba.
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