Another deadly snake removed from Mkhuhlu
A 1.5m Mozambican spitting cobra was captured after it had killed seven chicks and a dog at the Mnisi family's home in Mkhuhlu near Hazyview on December 5.
Mpumalanga’s snakes have the popular snake catcher, Cockroach Mdluli, to thank for rescuing them from communities where they not only petrify residents, but kill their dogs and chickens.
The latest slithering specimen to be saved by Mdluli, a 1.5m-long Mozambican spitting cobra, was caught at Mkhuhlu near Hazyview on December 5, after it had already killed seven chickens and a dog at the Mnisi family’s house.
According to Mdluli, he received a call at about 20:00 after the snake was spotted feasting in a chicken coop. Giving its would-be killers the runaround, the Mnisi family eventually decided to call Mdluli to assist instead.
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“When I arrived at the house, seven chickens were already dead, as was the dog. I tried to catch it, but it was very difficult, because it was aggressive and defending itself. I suspect that the dog or the chickens had made the snake angry. I also think when the family members who were at the scene tried to kill it, it was trying to attack anyone and anything,” he said.
Mdluli, never a man to give up, said that he was glad when he eventually managed to catch the snake before it could be hurt or killed, but at the same time said he felt sorry for the family’s loss. However, he advised community members to refrain from killing or catching snakes, especially when they don’t know what type it is.
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Meanwhile, Maria Mnisi, who found the snake, said she realised that something was amiss when the chickens and her dog continued to make a noise, but as it was dark due to load-shedding, she could not go out. “Immediately after the power came back on, I went to investigate, only to find my dog taking its last breath next to the coop, and as I went closer, I noticed some of the chickens were dead and the snake was still busy biting other chicks. It was too aggressive, and we called Mdluli to assist us,” she said.
The highly venomous snake was taken to the Kruger National Park for its own safety. Another feather in the cap of the mighty Cockroach, snake man of note.
