Durban — A 2-metre black mamba bolted into a house, slithered up and down a Christmas tree before hiding behind a speaker in Queensburgh.
Durban snake catcher Nick Evans said that Santa left him an early Christmas present under someone else’s Christmas tree.
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“Well, actually, the snake was outside when it was disturbed by the gardener. It then moved away from him, out of fear, saw the open door, and ducked inside. From there, it went up the Christmas tree and onto a small shelf above it,” Evans said.
“Then, while I was on my way, it slithered back down the tree, and hid at the bottom, behind a speaker.”
Evans said that he wished the snake had waited for him on the tree; it would, he said, have made for some cool photographs.
“I picked it up from where it was hiding, with the tongs, lifted it over the wires and things that could get knocked over, put it on the lounge floor and pinned it down,” Evans said.
He said the snake was about 2 to 2.1m, with a bit of its tail missing.
“Quite a relaxed specimen, despite its ordeal,” Evans said.
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He said that the family was rather shocked.
“It’s one of the more amusing places I’ve found a mamba. I’m sure many of you reading this have thought of jokes about this scenario,” Evans joked.
Earlier this week, Evans said he recently received a call from a home in Westville after a black mamba was seen slithering along the driveway.
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Evans said that when he arrived he learnt that the snake was in the car, in the undercarriage of a VW Polo.
After checking the usual places, he checked with his friend, Rob Prece, Dubcorp owner, in Westville North, to see if he could help.
Prece had helped him a few times with mambas in cars before.
Evans said he drove the Polo while the owner followed in a family member’s car. On Roger Sishi (Blair Atholl) Road, the owner called him and told him he could see the snake.
“The mamba was coming out from the underside of the car, on the right side! Just picture the scene,” laughed Evans.
He said he was close to Dubcorp and drove faster than he had been initially.
“When I arrived, I was a bit nervous to get out, obviously, as the snake was by the driver’s door. But I got out. No sign of the snake,” Evans said.
“After checking the engine compartment, and finding nothing, the staff at Dubcorp hoisted the car up, so we could look from below. We looked and looked, but nothing.”
He said the owner was adamant the snake didn’t come out.
He said that after a lengthy search and having taken a few things apart, they were about to call it a day. Maybe the owner could park the car in a closed garage.
“Suddenly, I heard a scream from Rob. He spotted it, rather close to where his hands were! It was on the radiator! First time seeing a mamba there,” Evans said.
“It was in a difficult position and required someone to coax it out for me. Rob, who isn’t exactly a snake-catcher to say the least, bravely offered to poke it and irritate it for me with a wire.
“It took a little while, but eventually, it worked. Just enough of the head and neck showed, and I pinned it down. It wasn’t a great angle for me, but I managed,” Evans explained.
He said the mamba, a 1.95m female, was warm to the touch and exhausted.
Daily News
