Snakes and bees come out to play
He has been stung many times by all those nasty bees, but that never stopped him either
Local snake and bee expert Mr Zam Paulik is currently busy removing snakes all over town due to the humid conditions we are facing. On the bee front, he is having a tough time collecting honey from his hives due to the lack of rain.
Catching snakes has been an unusual hobby of Zam’s ever since he was a child, the danger of which has never seemed to bother him. Zam also removes bee swarms and hives. He has been stung many times by all those nasty bees, but that never stopped him either. The past few weeks have been hectic for Mr Paulik when it comes to removing snakes in Ladysmith and surrounding areas.
He has captured eight Mozambique Spitting Cobras from homes, a few harmless house snakes, as well as Green Mambas, two African Rock Pythons and Puff Adders from in and around Ladysmith.
Zam appeals to the community to be careful of the Burrowing Adder / Stilleto snake that comes out after the rains.
This snake lives underground and gives a nasty bite, although a lot of people mistakenly think it is harmless. Mr Paulik recalls that three locals were hospitalised last year due to this little snake.
Bee swarms and hive removals have also kept him busy. Honey production is very low because of the lack of rain, and this causes bees to swarm. In turn, Zam is called to remove them. A month ago, he removed 14 swarms from a premises in Glencoe.
Zam is well equipped and dresses in the proper protective clothing when he goes out to remove swarms or hives.
“It doesn’t matter how busy I get, I love my job and am always willing to help others,” says this man who constantly runs the risk of painful bee stings and potentially deadly snake bites.
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