Protected python run over on Mpenjati bridge
"Please guys, if you see a snake on the road, there is no reason to run it over," says snake catcher.
Snake lover and reptile rescuer Sarel van der Merwe was heartbroken when his rescue attempt to save a Southern African python ended tragically.
He received a call from Port Shepstone Saps on Monday last week at 02:30.
A python had been spotted on the Mpenjati Bridge in Trafalgar.
In the interim, Sarel quickly phoned GP Security and asked them to send a patrol vehicle to watch the python while he travelled from Shelly Beach.
But, by the time Sarel reached the bridge, the python was run over by a vehicle and sadly didn’t make it.
“Please, guys, if you see a snake on the road, there is no reason to run it over. Thanks to officers from GP Security for your help,” he said.
The Southern African pythons are declared as vulnerable in the latest South African Red Data Book and may not be captured or killed.
“In South Africa, it is the only one of its kind, a very large and bulky snake that cannot be easily confused with other snakes,” he said.
To contact Sarel, you can reach him at 082 6831604. He is known for his work with snakes, including safely removing them from properties.
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