Mamba slithers into Prestondale on election day
Black mamba terrifies Prestondale family.
WHILE a Prestondale family made their mark on a ballot sheet early on Wednesday morning, a terrifying event in their backyard has left an indelible mark on their memories. A 2.35 meter male black mamba had wedged itself under the Mallon family’s Wendy house.
However, local snake man Jason Arnold came to the rescue after being alerted by Rob Mallon.
“Our neighbour spotted the snake and said the birds were going crazy. He then spotted it slide over our fence, in to our garden, and under the wendyhouse. Jason was super, he was really calm and I’m just glad it’s gone,” a relieved Rob said.
He added the black mamba had also made an important decision for his household. “It’s time for the Wendy house to go. This was the last straw and I think we could do without it.”
Arnold said the mamba had possibly come from the sugar cane fields bordering some of the homes in Prestondale.
“Mambas like to slither on outskirts of the cane fields because there’s a lot of rats running around. With all the construction going on the mambas food source would have been disturbed and this guy was probably looking for a meal,” Arnold explained.
Incredibly 10 years ago Arnold caught a green mamba that had also made its way into the Mallon’s garden. More than 15 neighbours rushed to the Mallon home to witness the capture.
A snake thought to be a spitting cobra has still not been found Arnold said. The serpent was spotted three times on uMhlanga’s beachfront last week.
Contact Jason Arnold on 082 745 6375.
See a video of the snake’s capture here:
