The African Snakebite Institute (ASI) recently released a statement informing Gauteng residents of a snake removal con artist that is on the loose.
“We are in the middle of summer and with all of the rain, snakes are active. Killing or attempting to catch any snake is a risky business and homeowners are advised to rather back off more than five paces and call a snake remover,” institute manager, Ashley Kemp said.
The ASI has a free app called ASI Snakes (https://bit.ly/snakebiteapp) that lists over 800 snake removers countrywide. Once you open Snake Removal the snake rescuers closest to you will be listed first.
While many snake removers provide a free removal service, some may request a donation to cover fuel expenses while others charge a removal fee – anything from R150 to R350 per call, often depending on how far they have to travel.
Unfortunately, some unscrupulous folks have seen this as an opportunity to scam people, especially old people or those who are clearly scared. They arrive, quickly catch the snake or if they cannot find it, they claim they have caught it and placed it in a container and then charge in the region of R2 000 for the removal.
“But it doesn’t stop there – they also offer to spray your property with snake repellent and that could cost up to R10 000. Needless to say, there is no snake repellent that actually works. Research at the University of the Witwatersrand has shown that snake repellent has no effect,” the statement read.
“So, if you encounter a snake and call a snake remover, first check what they are going to charge and if it is anything above R350, rather call another snake remover on the app. One of the con artists goes under the name Sam – be very careful.”
This matter has been reported to various authorities and is currently under investigation.
