Trusty snake catcher saves deadly snake from community near Hazyview

A highly poisonous 3.5m black mamba saw the Lowveld’s well-known snake man, Cockroach Mdluli, coming to his rescue in Hoxane near Hazyview on Tuesday October 17, before some community members could kill it.

The serpent was spotted by some members of the community who attempted to kill it, but after they realised it was not attacking them, Mdluli was called in. He said the snake was shedding its skin and was not being aggressive.

“I arrived on time to rescue the snake, because some of the people wanted to kill it because they thought they were in danger. The snake was there because of rats in the area and because it was time to shed its old skin. People should refrain from killing snakes, especially when they are not threatening them, because they only bite when they feel threatened. They try to hide first when they see people,” he said.

ALSO READ: Buscor scoops ultimate award in Mbombela

Mdluli said he had waited for the snake to finish shedding before it was totally safe to catch it, and he took it to the Kruger National Park, where he believe it would be safer than in a residential area.

This illustrious snake catcher has become quite a local celebrity. He also advised the people not to attempt to catch snakes, especially when they are not trained to do so.

A black mamba is one of Africa’s deadliest snakes. Untreated, its bite has a fatality rate of 100%, making it a killer among the slithering reptiles on the continent.

ALSO READ: Mpumalanga premier donates firefighting vehicles to five municipalities

“It is critical that a person receives professional medical care a soon as possible before the black mamba’s venom gets into the bloodstream, as that would be fatal. A human being can collapse within 45 minutes after its bite; without treatment, it can take seven to 15 painful hours for a black mamba’s bite to kill a human,” he said.