Black mamba in the rafters
The notorious snake strikes at a speed of 3.7 metres per second and it's bite is often referred to as the Kiss of Death.
SNAKE-catcher, Jaco Dercksen, was in for a surprise after being called out to Thula Thula Game Reserve last week.
Upon arrival, he realised he was dealing with a two-metre long black mamba, and it was expected of him to retrieve the highly venomous snake from five metres up in the rafters of the restaurant area.
The notorious snake strikes at a speed of 3.7 metres per second and it’s bite is often referred to as the Kiss of Death.
‘It was really a battle to get to the snake and when I caught it with my tongs, it just bent them like they were made made of plastic,’ he said.
Balancing along the rafters, using one hand to restrain the snake near its head with the tongs, and holding on for dear life with the other, Dercksen had to then attempt to loosen the snake’s tail as it had wrapped itself around one of the roof poles.
His ordeal begun at 11am, and the snake was only bagged at around 2pm.
Dercksen thanked the staff at Thula Thula for their support and commended resident snake-catcher at Thula Thula, Promise, who advised and calmed him from the ground.
‘I was quite surprised with the knowledge this young man has about snakes, he’s is a real conservationist,’ said Dercksen.
‘I also want thank my good lady for praying for me all the time and the Almighty for protecting me from being bitten.
Dercksen covers the Zululand area, charging only for his travel expenses. He can be contacted on 076 2843413.
