FROM the beginning of November to the end of February, there is no rest for Durban North’s snake man, Jason Arnold. The 37-year-old said he has received a number of call-outs for a number of snake species, but had seen a spike in spitting cobra and mamba activity.

Arnold recently rescued a large spitting cobra from a Westville home.

“Peak snake season is upon us in KZN and the calls for help are streaming in at an alarming rate. In the recent rescue of the spitting cobra, the residents did what you should do when you spot a deadly snake. They followed the snake but kept a safe distance from it and were careful not to disturb the cobra or make it feel threatened. If you don’t want to be a statistic of a snake bite, do not deliberately interfere with them. Leave them alone and they will do the same,” he said.

Arnold added black mamba sightings had also increased. The former Northlands Primary School pupil said a number of bites occur over this period.

“The best thing to do is monitor the snake and call in a professional. Don’t try to approach them or chase them away. They are highly aggressive and when threatened, can inject a large volume of venom with one strike,” he said.

He added there had also been an increase in sightings of herald snakes, spotted bush snakes and brown house snakes, all of which are harmless.

Contact Arnold on 082 745 6375.