Durban snake catcher Nick Evans had a bizarre encounter after finding a black mamba and a Mozambique spitting cobra at a home in the Moseley area in Pinetown.
Evans said he and another snake catcher friend responded to a call for a possible black mamba in the Moseley area on Friday.
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As they arrived, Evans said he heard the birds going crazy in the trees behind the garage.
“I knew it had to be a snake. But I wondered, would it be the mamba that was in the garage? Perhaps it came out the roof? It was very possible.”
He said he scanned the trees, while his friend searched the garage.
Evans finally spotted the snake. He said judging by the size, he initially thought it was a spotted bush snake.
But after using his binoculars to make sure, he said he was surprised to discover that it was actually a tiny black mamba. He said it couldn’t have been more than 80 cm at most.
Evans explained that sightings of mambas at this size are rare.
“In the hatching season, February-March, I usually get two to four calls a season for hatchlings. But after a few months, none. They’re known to grow quickly. I was surprised this one was still so small.”
He said he tried catching it, but it escaped.
Evans said he knew this wasn’t the snake they were called out for because the homeowner wouldn’t have described the juvenile black mamba as a 1.5 to 2-metre-long snake.
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He said they soon found a massive Mozambique spitting cobra in the garage.
He said they managed to capture the snake and weighed it.
“The monstrous female measured out at 164 cm in length. I’ve only seen two or three longer than that, the longest being 181cm.
“A memorable cobra, and a memorable call,” said Evans.