A 2.8-metre black mamba was captured just north of Scottburgh’s main beach on Thursday this week, in front of the Cutty Sark Hotel, North Glen News reports.
A teenager who was jogging on the shore of the popular beach spotted the snake and alerted Crocworld Conservation Centre’s Manager Martin Rodrigues.
Owen and Nadi Kuyper, who were going for a swim at the time of rescue, managed to capture footage of the rare incident on their cellphone.
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“Snakes are in our vicinity most of the time but human encounters with snakes are few and far between,” said Rodrigues. “It is important not to panic if you encounter a snake. Be vigilant and observant of your surroundings,” he advised.
According to Rodrigues, it was the first time that he has seen a Black Mamba captured on a beach.
Rodrigues said that it was possible that due to the extremely hot weather, the snake was cooling down on the shore or having a drink of salty water. It may have been tired or caught up in the waves.
“When I tried to catch the snake, I noticed a lot of water coming out of its mouth so it may have swallowed quite a bit of sea water,” added Rodrigues.
Once the snake was safely captured, it was taken back to Crocworld Conservation Centre, where it was measured, examined and released back into a safe habitat.
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