Two black mambas were filmed over the weekend wrestling for dominance at a property in Durban’s Umbilo Valley during mating season, a behaviour that is considered common but seldom witnessed in person.

Snake rescuer Nick Evans says that the incident took place on Saturday, when two male mambas were observed engaged in prolonged combat over a nearby female.

According to Evans, the snakes involved measured about 2.5m and 2.6m, respectively.

“They’re wrestling until one surrenders and moves off. They do not bite or kill each other,” he says.

He says that while the behaviour is well documented among black mambas, it is rarely seen by the public.

Common seasonal behaviour, rarely witnessed

Evans, who has more than a decade of experience in snake removals, says he has personally witnessed around six such encounters, with a further five recorded videos sent to him by homeowners.

The behaviour occurs during the mamba mating season, typically from May through to early August.

During this period, female mambas leave scent trails that males follow using their forked tongues. When two males converge near a female, they may engage in wrestling to establish dominance.

“If two males bump into each other in the proximity of the female, they’ll wrestle each other as you see in the video,” Evans explains.

He says Durban’s climate and environment support a healthy black mamba population, particularly in areas with suitable habitat such as cliff faces where prey like dassies are found.

Focused behaviour, limited risk to humans

Evans adds that the snakes involved in this incident were highly focused on each other and did not show interest in human presence at the time of filming.

“We walked quite closely up to them to film them,” he says, adding that black mambas are generally not aggressive towards people unless provoked.

He notes that bites on humans are extremely rare and that the species typically avoids confrontation where possible.

The encounter lasted around half an hour, although Evans believes the interaction may have begun earlier, potentially on a nearby cliff, before the snakes moved into the residential area.

A rare public sighting

While mamba combat is not unusual behaviour, Evans says witnessing it in person is rare.

“For members of the public, this is almost certainly a once-in-a-lifetime sighting,” he adds.

He says the specific stretch of Umbilo Valley where the incident occurred appears to support a strong mamba presence, with multiple similar encounters recorded along the same road.

Evans adds that most residents typically opt to have snakes removed once located on private property, despite the animals posing minimal threat when left undisturbed.

He says the snakes from this incident were captured after becoming fatigued from the prolonged wrestling.

A misunderstood species

Evans cautions against the negative perception of black mambas, describing them as largely non-confrontational and focused on survival.

“Black mambas are not out to kill us. All they want to do is be left alone,” he emphasises.

He adds that the species plays an important ecological role, feeding on rodents and other prey, and typically avoids human interaction unless cornered or threatened.

Watch the video: