Massive 2.6m-long Black Mamba captured from home in Montclair

AFTER six months, professional snake catcher Warren Dick was finally able to capture a 2.6m-long Black Mamba from a home in Montclair recently.

Warren, who is also a nature enthusiast and professional photographer, said he had received a call from the resident who had seen a huge snake on her CCTV camera by their chicken coop on May 4.

“It was definitely a Black Mamba. I responded quite quickly but could not find anything. However, later that day, the snake was seen again, so I responded again, and nothing.

“The snake was not seen again, but I knew at some point it would be back. The family keeps chickens and rabbits which also attracts rats, so there was plenty of food for the snake,” he said.

Also read: #Snakeseason: Gravid green mamba spotted on The Bluff

Warren said the snake had been seen near the same area again last week.

“When I arrived, I was shown where the snake was last seen near a braai area, however, there was a lot of stuff packed next to it. I did not think there was any space there for a snake to hide, but the woman said she heard the snake there before I arrived. With a large snake, you can hear them moving, kind of like the sound you get when pulling a hose across the floor,” he said.

Warren said that as he moved the items around, he spotted the coils of the snake.

“I tried to use my snake tongs to grab what I could of the snake, but it took a dislike to this and exploded with force to get away. Unfortunately, I only had hold of the tail end of the snake, and it easily slipped out my grip and was gone,” he said.

Also read: Montclair family left in shock after 2.3 metre long black mamba found in roof

Warren said the snake bolted towards the back garden and went straight down into the bush.

“I thought the snake was gone, but I gave chase. Fortunately, for me, the snake headed into the old chicken coop that had shade cloth to the ground, so it could not get out,” he said.

Warren said that after multiple attempts, he was able to grab hold of the snake.

“My heart was pounding and adrenaline was high, but I had the powerful 2.6m-long Black Mamba in my grip and safely got it in a bucket for relocation. The snake was released away from homes.

“While chasing the snake, I could not help but appreciate the size of it; it kind of reminded me of watching videos of folks catching King Cobras in India,” he said.

For assistance or to have some of your interesting spiders, snakes or other wildlife identified, call or WhatsApp Warren on 072 211 0353. You can also follow him on Facebook, Warren’s Small World.

Some interesting facts about the Black Mamba:
– They are not black but grey-brown. Their name comes from the inky-black colour inside their mouth.
– Upon hatching, they are already around 55cm long and can grow up to 2m in length in the first year of their life.
– Like all other snakes, Black Mambas are not aggressive and will always seek escape rather than biting anything that’s not potential food.
– If you get too close, they gape their mouth open and usually hiss. This is a warning that you are too close and should back off.
– Lastly, if you see a snake, leave it alone, keep watch and phone a professional for help.

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