Green mamba bite: Snake catcher on road to recovery after close call

The South Coast community wouldn’t know what to do without their local snake catcher, Sarel van der Merwe!

So it was fantastic news that he is on the road to recovery after being bitten by a green mamba last Saturday.

This is not the first time he has been bitten, in 2016, it was a close brush with death for the snake catcher who was bitten by a 1.8 metre green mamba.

Last Saturday morning, after rescuing a black mamba from a mango tree in Mvutshini, Sarel responded to a call-out to rescue a green mamba spotted on a resident’s roof in Munster.

“I couldn’t crawl on the roof so I cut the ceiling board. As the mamba slithered out I grabbed it with my grab stick but when I bagged the snake, my headlamp died on me and I got bitten,” he explained.

I managed to bag the snake and got the client to phone my friend, Paul Crook to call Port Shepstone Regional Hospital.

“My client drove me in my car, but it was too slow. Luckily there was a highway patrol car on the main road so we got them to rush me in their vehicle to the hospital,” he explained.

The staff at the casualty department was ready and waiting for the brave snake catcher and gave him the anti-venom and adrenaline.

On Sunday morning he was transferred to a regular ward.

But nothing stops this dedicated animal rescuer!

“While in hospital I received a call from a woman who had spotted a green mamba in her cupboard!”

As soon as he was released from hospital, Paul picked him up and drove him to the house where he successfully removed the snake from the cupboard.

Sarel is extremely grateful to everyone who helped him survive this close call.

“I could hardly see or breathe…Thanks to God that I got through this and thanks to the hospital staff and all my friends who were there for me.”

If anyone who has a problem with a snake can contact Sarel on 082 6831604.

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