Python recovers after savage attack

A ROCK Python is recovering at uShaka’s Dangerous Creatures after it was brutally attacked by workers at a company near Dalton.

Nick Evans from KwaZulu-Natal Amphibian and Reptile Conservation said this had been one of the most upsetting and frustrating cases he had yet to deal with. He said this case was evidence of how uneducated people were on snakes.

“This attack was simply savage. The truth is though, it is down to a lack of education. Too many people think snakes are out to get us and that they have no feelings. This is not true,” said Nick.

Nick received a call from Sam Walford who had been visiting the company, and while there heard staff talking about a large snake that had been killed. Sam was shown the photo of a few men holding up a large python, which they had supposedly beaten to death.

“He was outraged, and told everyone that the Southern African Python is a protected species, and that it is illegal to kill them,” said Nick.

On his way out of the property, Sam decided to stop and take a look at the dead snake. He walked up to it and noticed that it was still alive. It appeared to have been beaten with sticks, especially around its head.

“When he phoned me I could hear he was upset. He sent a photo of the snake, and looking at it I didn’t have much hope. I couldn’t see visible injuries from the beating, but I could see that it was emaciated. It was in a very, very bad way. Sam told me he could get it into a box and take it home with him, where I could then collect it and get it to the vet. Pythons are not venomous, but with a mouth full of teeth, they can pack a painful bite, but Sam said it could hardly move and that it was ice cold. Bravely, he put it in a cardboard box and left in a hurry, avoiding what potentially could have been nasty conflict with those standing around him.” said Nick.

Nick said normally one couldn’t just leave one of these pythons in a cardboard box without it promptly slithering out.

“Southern African or Rock Pythons, are known to be very aggressive when irritated. But this specimen was too weak to do anything. I opened up its mouth and what I saw was not pleasant. It was bleeding in parts of its gums, and I could see most of its teeth had been crushed. I actually ran my index finger along its lower ‘lip’, scooping up a bunch of the broken teeth. It clearly had a respiratory infection too, as there was a fair amount of phlegm oozing out of its trachea. It’s head was swollen too, and its eyes couldn’t move. This poor python actually just looked dead, you could see it was in pain,” said Nick.

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Nick took the python to Dangerous Creatures at uShaka Sea World the next morning, hoping they’d be able to pull off a miracle. X-rays showed minimal damage to the skull. The snake is currently recovering and getting stronger.

“We can’t just give up on a snake like this, it responds to touch, flickers its tongue just fine and it has already gained some strength. It has shown signs of hope. I had serious doubts that it would pull through, but it has a shot,” he said.

Nick said the Southern African Python is a protected species. It is illegal to kill them and it serves no purpose in the muthi trade.

“We need to spread this message, and help those who think that snakes have no good purpose, alive, that they actually do. These beautiful, iconic animals should be left alone in the bush, to control the numbers of small mammals which does not include people,” said Nick.

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