Python kills sniffer dog in Limpopo  

Limpopo police commissioner Lieutenant-General Thembi Hadebe has paid tribute to K9 dog Bina following her death on Saturday.

According to Colonel Malesela Ledwaba, Bina, a Belgian Shepherd, was killed by a python while in her kennel in Lephalale K9.

She was taken to Roodeplaat Vet for a post-mortem.

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Bina was seven years old and trained at the Roodeplaat Dog School in Pretoria in June 2019 as a narcotic detector dog.

“She established herself as one of the top dogs in SAPS Lephalale K9 and assisted in solving drug-related cases in Limpopo,” said Ledwaba.

Before her death on Saturday, Bina helped in the arrest of three suspects found with crystals, nyaope, and cat drugs worth about R75 000 in Lephalale.

“These dogs have the ability to go into places that an ordinarily human being would not be able to. They have the ability to detect incriminating items or items with evidential value just by using their senses. They are certainly part of the SAPS family. It is a big loss to the unit and the province. Rest well, Bina,” said Hadebe.

Python vs dog in North West

Last month, a family in Brits, North West was left in shock after witnessing a python swallowing the family’s cross pit bull.

ALSO READ: WATCH: Rescuers battle huge squadron of SA’s deadliest snakes due to heatwave

The python was 4.1 metres long and weighed about 30kg, Critter Chronicles’ Jac-Louis Horn told The Citizen at the time.

“[Catching a snake] would usually be a straightforward process, but because the snake was so big, we had to get farm workers to help move it. We restrained the head and transferred it into a container to relocate it,” Horn said.

When under threat a snake is known to regurgitate or vomit out its meal, to ensure a speedy escape.

“When approached the snake regurgitated the dog and was caught.”

READ MORE: WATCH: ‘It started vomiting out the dog’ — 4.1m long python swallows pit bull whole

Additional reporting by Kyle Zeeman