‘Mamba Mia’: Spring welcomes snake season
The snake catcher recently nabbed a pair of black mambas on a property in Uvongo.
With spring in the air, snake sightings are expected to increase.
Tired of watching TV and making waffles, snake catcher Sarel van der Merwe is looking forward to the upcoming ‘snake season’ where he can help remove and relocate snakes to safer environments.
In the last week or so, Sarel has caught a pair of black mambas, a green mamba and a mixed bag of harmless snakes.
He nabbed a pair of black mambas on a property in Uvongo this week.
“I initially couldn’t get to the pair, so I went back on Sunday to see if I could spot them and found the one sunbathing on the same rock. I quickly grabbed it. I received another phone call from the owner saying they had spotted the male’s partner. I went back the next day and caught it,” he said.
With the weather starting to warm up, Sarel warned residents to be cautious of snakes coming out and moving around after hibernation.
He gave some important tips to help keep your property safe from any cold-blooded intruders.
* Keep your yard clean and remove any piles of rubble around the house.
* Don’t hang your bird feeder close to the house, or leave dog food lying around as it attracts rats/mice which in turn attracts snakes.
* Trim tree branches close to your house’s roof and windows.
* Take a photo of the snake so you can send it immediately to Sarel.
* Keep Sarel’s number: 082 6831604 on speed dial.
Sarel stressed that it was important to take a photo of the snake and send it to him.
“This season I will not be travelling 200km to remove a spotted bush snake when I can help people with venomous snakes,” he said.
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