Durban — Snake rescuer Nick Evans has actually described his latest display lizard rescue call as ‘most extraordinary’.
On Thursday, Evans was called out to a home he recognizes with in Reservoir Hills.
He said Rasscon Construction and Development CC was destroying a huge concrete patio area at a home surrounding the Palmiet River.
“It was a home I was familiar with as, after a few visits, I knew of black mambas and monitor lizards living under this patio,” Evans said.
“The homeowner expected a reptile or two to be found during this demolition job, and it was not long before I was called for a large snake, seen under the concrete, by the builders.
“When I arrived and looked under the concrete, I saw the tail of a monitor lizard, which resembles a snake.”
He said it was about two metres away, and the only way to get it was to keep breaking away at the concrete. Unfortunately, the concrete was thick, so a jackhammer had to be used.
Evans said the construction team planned to be careful, as they did not want to hurt the lizard.
“It was great for me to see their caring attitude, really encouraging,” he said.
“The jackhammer started breaking away concrete, and the unhappy lizard turned to me, considering making a dash for it. As the hammering went on, a second monitor lizard head appeared. I was so, so excited. I’d never ever captured more than among these lizards at a time. The 2 lizards most likely had a headache by this point.”
Evans said the workers broke a hole closer to where the first lizard was, and he managed to reach in, grab its tail, and pull it out.
He said pulling it out was not that easy, as it used its powerful legs and sharp claws to really dig in, but they soon managed it.
“We did the same for the second lizard,” Evans said.
He said all the workers touched the lizards, and some even held one for a photo. They seemed proud to have assisted in rescuing these reptiles.
Evans said he saw that there was still a lot of concrete left to break, so he was sure he would be back soon. He was also sure there was at least one mamba under there.
“A while later, I was, as expected, called back. Not for a mamba, though, but for another monitor. This one was a few metres from where the other two were. It was well out of reach so, with the jackhammer, the workers carefully created a hole closer to the lizard, while I watched from the gap that had already been formed,” he said.
Evans said the hammering was loud under there, and he could see the lizard’s head shaking as the jackhammer broke away at the concrete. It began getting actually active, moving the space under there.
“Soon, I got within reach of the tail and grabbed it. After a brief struggle, I got it out,” he said. “I was so chuffed to have got three lizards.”
Evans said that with metres of patio area delegated break, they questioned if there would be more lizards.
Then about an hour or more later on, he went back to your house.
He said that at that time, the lizard had actually been hurt by the jackhammer, much to the scary of the group. They had actually taken terrific care in assisting him draw out the very first 3 lizards, desperate not to hurt them. With this one, they did not understand it existed till the concrete broke away.
“When I arrived, the lizard looked dead. It was stuck under collapsed concrete slabs. I shifted them away and noticed two punctures on its back, one between the back legs, and a more severe one between the front legs. It was hard to assess the damage as it was covered in dust.
“I gently moved the concrete and was relieved to see movement. The lizard was very much alive, and actually, had not lost much strength at all,” Evans said.
He said that after putting the lizard in a container, the workers moved a large concrete slab next to it and uncovered a fifth lizard.
“This one was also partially trapped under the concrete, but not physically damaged, thankfully. These last two, due to their circumstances, made for much easier captures than the other three.
“Five lizards was the total for the day. Absolutely incredible. I could not be happier.
“My most extraordinary monitor lizard rescue call to date,” Evans said.
Evans said it was difficult to tell sexes apart, but he confirmed that one was a male. As for the rest, he had no idea. However, they were adults.
He said that after measurements and weights were taken, four of the five were released the next day. The fifth was taken to Dangerous Creatures, at the South African Association for Marine Biological Research for the veterinary team to look at. X-rays were taken.
“Remarkably, the jackhammer had hit the lizard’s spinal column, triggering a minor fracture, however it had actually not affected the lizard’s movement at all. It might still scratch and offer a good slap with its tail. If the jackhammer struck another 2 or 3 millimetres to the side, or much deeper, the lizard might have been paralysed. One lucky reptile,” Evans said.
“It is receiving antibiotics and TLC by the DC staff, and will hopefully be ready for release soon. Thank you to them for their efforts, as usual.”
Evans likewise thanked Rasscon Construction (@Tabrez Rassack) for all its care and support.
“They really were fantastic, and I could not have done this without them,” he said.
“I see these lizards suffering cruel deaths at the hands of humans, but in recent times, I have seen members of the public really make an effort to save them. Again, this is really encouraging for me.”
Evans likewise thanked the house owner for providing him this amazing chance.
“Remember, I am assisting Euan Genevier, from UKZN, on an exciting project on this species, focusing on specimens from the Durban and PMB areas. So if you managed to photograph one, please do share the sighting info with us. And if you need one rescued, please feel free to call,” he concluded.
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