Snakes have managed to slither into the hearts of only a select few and one of those people, a former Scottburgh local, has dedicated his life to learning everything there is to know about these reptiles and hopes to help others understand them too.
Pat’s obsession with snakes started at a young age and to date he has worked with them for over 60 years. In 1990, Pat moved to Scottburgh where he started his own business and grew his family.
He moved to Durban in 2000 and now resides in a cottage on a farm in the Cato Ridge area. “I love what I do and, even though I move around, my love for snakes remained as South Africa is just filled with these beautiful creatures,” he said.
Besides handling snakes, Pat also does emceeing, trains technicians in the tyre industry and gives snake talks and training on how to react when encountering a snake.
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“I keep discarded exotic (non-indigenous) snakes. When I give talks, I use these to demonstrate how snakes operate, what they feel like and help people to overcome their fears. At any time, I might have up to 20 snakes at home,” Pat explained.
“We encounter things that kill us every day, such as cigarettes and the beach where one could drown, yet we are so scared of snakes when they are not a threat to us in most cases,” he said.
Should anyone encounter a snake, Pat suggests that you stand completely still as sudden movements frighten snakes. If you can, alert people around you and get in contact with your local snake catcher.
In order to make this more efficient, you should always keep a list of people or organisations handy that may assist in situations like this. Don’t be afraid to speak or shout for help as snakes are deaf and rely solely on your movement.
If you encounter a snake outdoors, let it be, because you are actually out in its environment. Lastly, avoid picking up snakes with your hands, you may assume you know what snake it is, but you might not always be right and could accidentally pick up something extremely dangerous and potentially harm yourself.
At this time of year, snakes will generally be bulking up on food. The most common finds would be heralds and night adders. As we go further into winter, there will be little to no visibility of snakes as most will sleep for couple of months.
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Taking time out of his ever busy schedule, Pat even managed to put together a book about snakes entitled ‘Getting to know your neighbours’, of which copies were made just for himself and those who requested copies.
Throughout the years, Pat has been bitten twice. “One bite was by a night adder and the other by a puff adder,” he said, “Each time I was bitten, someone was helping me with the transfer of the snake, from grab to bag, so I’m totally cured of asking for assistance.”
“I’ve developed an almost hands-free method of catching and releasing snakes, which is less stressful for all concerned – the catcher and the snake. It doesn’t have the Rambo touch that one sees on TV, but then again I’m not Rambo. I’m just doing a job in the most effective and safe way,” he added.
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