Summer, Sarel and snakes go ‘hand-in-hand’
Sarel drove 54km inland and began searching for the mamba.
With summer almost in full swing, all the snakes are now out of their sleeping bags (hibernation).
Last month, Sarel rescued a puff adder from a cement factory in Oribi, which had got itself stuck on a conveyor belt on the gantry.
“I don’t like to use a grab stick on a puff adder, but on some callouts, you don’t have a choice,” he said.
Venom from a puff adder is potently cytotoxic and can cause severe pain, swelling, blistering and, in many cases, severe tissue damage.
“All reptiles produce eggs, and while the puff adder does ‘give birth’, the process is deceptive. The eggs are, in fact, produced, but these eggs are carried in the mother during incubation, and the young snakes hatch from the eggs before they emerge from her,” explained Sarel.
It’s never a dull moment for Sarel.
He also had a call for assistance from St Faith’s police station. A black mamba was lurking inside a home near the station.
Sarel drove 54km inland and began searching for the mamba in a bedroom filled with items.
“The mamba played a good game of ‘hide and seek’, and I was lucky to spot him quickly. Before he had a chance to go anywhere, I caught him from under the bed with my grab stick,” said Sarel.
Be sure to keep Sarel’s number on speed dial: 082 6831604.
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