Snake wrangler Warren Dick was called out to Prospecton, south of Durban, after a night adder got stuck on carelessly discarded packaging tape at a packaging plant.

According to Southlands Sun, the Bluff snake enthusiast and professional snake catcher said the full length of the serpent was stuck fast on the tape, and to make matters worse, it was stuck along its back.

“I’m not sure what type of glue was on there, but the snake was well stuck, and I was way out of my depth to try help it. I cut the snake off the larger piece of packaging tape and then phoned my friends at uShaka’s Dangerous Creatures to ask for help. The vet team agreed to try help me get the poor snake unstuck. The snake was put under a local anaesthetic to make it safer for us and less cruel for the snake. A dilute solution of dishwasher soap and a cotton swab was used to gently peel each scale off the tape,” says Dick.

Tragically, the snake had undergone too much stress during the ordeal and died shortly after being freed from the tape.

Dick says he has come across a few snakes stuck in similar situations. “I ask that you be mindful of how you discard items. Just as the little plastic rings of bottles can be dangerous to wildlife, so can discarded tape and other glues. People often use duct tape to stick signs on walls, and over time, the tape becomes unstuck and can become a potential hazard for wildlife.”

To contact Dick for insect, snake, or spider identification, send him a WhatsApp or call 072 211 0353.