A SURPRISE encounter turned into a daring rescue in a Woodhaven garden tool shed when The Bluff-based snake catcher, Warren Dick, rescued an injured black mamba earlier this month.

Also read: Rhombic Egg-Eater snake rescued in Prospecton [Video]

Dick said he received a call at about 14:50 from a pensioner who believed they had spotted a brown house snake while cleaning out their shed. Given the nature of the area, Dick expected to find a harmless snake. Instead, he was pleasantly surprised when he uncovered the coiled body of a black mamba behind the shed.

He managed to pin the snake down with his tongs, but the mamba exploded into action, thrashing and trying to break free and managed to slither towards a table.

Following a tense struggle between man and snake, Dick realised he was about to lose his grip and scrambled to pick up the second tong. “As I did, the snake broke free. I quickly grabbed the snake mid-body with one tong while trying to secure the head with the second,” said Dick.

Once secured, Dick noticed the mamba had a serious wound on its spine near the tail. After a quick call to fellow snake rescuer, Nick Evans, who assessed the injury, the slithery friend was transported to a reptile specialist vet.

Also read: Watch: Rookie Pietermaritzburg snake catcher comes face-to-face with deadly boomslang in car

“It had been jabbed with a sharp projectile through the spine near the tail; fortunately the spine wasn’t completely severed,” said Dick. X-rays were conducted and the snake was bandaged and given antibiotics and pain medication.

Dick said he is not really certain how such a dangerous snake ended up in a densely populated area, but he suspects the mamba had probably followed the green belt along the N2.

“It found two or three gardens that were not very well kept. Apparently there were rats. This was obviously too attractive for the snake to leave, so it made itself at home,” said Dick. He reminded residents that no snake repellent exists and the best way to avoid uninvited guests is to eliminate food sources such as rats, frogs and bird feeders.

If you would like a snake identified or removed, contact Warren Dick on 072 211 0353.

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