Conservation centre rescues pregnant python
Being a protected species, it’s illegal to keep or kill a Southern rock python, or even to capture one without a permit.
A gravid (pregnant) Southern rock python living in very dense vegetation near a river in Widenham, Umkomaas was recently captured by the Crocworld Conservation Centre in Scottburgh.
Reptile curator at Crocworld, Wade Kilian, said he received a call saying that there is a very big snake living around a Widenham house, close to the river.
Kilian said a man had seen it nearly every day, adding that he went out to investigate.
The curator said it turned out to be a gravid Southern rock python living in very dense vegetation near the river.
“While the capture didn’t take too long, it was quite an arduous undertaking: There was a lot of bundu bashing to get to her, and I had to go in alone. I had actually captured a python in this area two years back, coiled around her eggs, and she was relocated further into the green belt, so it could very well have been the same snake. We decided it was in her best interest to relocate her away from humans which we did after the capture,” he said.
Kilian added that the sight of a Southern rock python, one of the largest snake species on the planet, is enough to grab anyone’s attention, particularly when spotted regularly close to home.
He said that is what prompted the Widenham resident to contact the team at Crocworld Conservation Centre.
He explained that, being a protected species, it’s illegal to keep or kill a Southern rock python, or even to capture one without a permit.
The curator said these reptiles are often poached for traditional medicine, or for their skin and meat, adding that if you do come across one in the mid-KZN South Coast region, they encourage you to call them to relocate it.
He said another interesting fact about Southern rock pythons are that they were the first recorded species to exhibit facultative melanism – an evolutionary adaptation where the snake’s skin darkens in colour during reproduction.
“Because it is one of the few species to incubate the eggs maternally, it is believed the colour change increases the heart rate during basking so she doesn’t have to spend as much time exposed out in the sunshine. Although snake activity will be diminishing with the arrival of autumn and cooler weather, residents are urged to call the team at Crocworld Conservation Centre for any snake removals on the mid-KZN South Coast,” he said.
For more information, visit www.crocworld.co.za, ‘Crocworld Conservation Centre’ on Facebook or call 039 976 1103.
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