Exotic snake found at Tembisa primary school

Midrand SPCA inspector Jerry Seemise responded to a call about a snake that had been found at Umthambeka Primary School.

The call was from municipal worker, Constance Tebeila, who had found the snake while working near the school.

Seemise explained, “When I arrived at the school I saw a huge mob of people gathered around and a fire was burning nearby.”

Seemise pushed through the crowd and found Tebeila holding the dead snake in her arms.

Tebeila had rescued the carcass of the snake but was not sure who had killed it.

She was trying to hold back the crowd before the Midrand SPCA arrived.

Seemise said, “The mob of people was attempting to burn the dead snake because they believed that it was actually a sangoma that had transformed itself into a snake. They believed that if they threw it into the fire it would transform back into a human. They would not let me pass but with help from the Metro police and Midrand Emergency Medical Services a path was cleared.”

The snake was taken to Free Me, a rehabilitation centre for indigenous wildlife based in Fourways, where they proclaimed it to be dead.

Seemise said, “This was an exotic snake and probably someone’s pet. We are still trying to find out where it came from. If members of the public see something like this please phone the SPCA or a nature conservation authority instead of taking matters into your own hands.”