THE Bluff-based snake catcher Warren Dick is back on the hunt after he captured a third black mamba on January 18 in Shallcross, only days after he was bitten by a black mamba for the second time.

Also read: Snake catcher bitten by black mamba for second time

Third capture

A family from Shallcross called in the afternoon, after they reported seeing a black mamba under a tarp on top of an engine. When Dick arrived and lifted the tarp, the snake was gone. He looked under the engine and around the area, but the snake seemed to take the game of hide and seek very seriously.

“This is unfortunately the case, often I cannot see the other side of objects clearly, so the snake slips away. There were a whole lot of motorcycle parts, that stretched under a low balcony of the house,” said Dick.

With the family’s help, they were able to move parts hindering Dick’s search but still to no avail. After what he joked as hours of searching with the flashlight, they found the snake hidden behind a cardboard box flap.

“Kneeling down to get under the balcony I carefully reached my tongs in to move some stuff to uncover the snake. Unfortunately, not enough of the snake was uncovered and it started moving. The gentleman and my wife could see it moving into a piece of aluminium guttering laying just above it. Next began a tense game of cat and mouse to try coax the snake out slowly,” said Dick.

After a while, Dick was able to grab the snake’s body and hold on until its head came out, letting him safely grab it with the tongs.

Dick said the rescue took about an hour. The black mamba was a 236cm long female.

Contact information:

To have your insects or snakes identified or captured, contact Warren Dick on 072 211 0353.

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