Cape Town – With the rains having cleared and hotter, humid climate throughout the province, the rise in snake sightings by residents within the Western Cape is a standard phenomenon, suggested snake rescue co-ordinator Shaun MacLeod.
“Snakes are not the enemy. People watch movies like
and and that comes to mind when they see a snake. They believe they will get attacked.”
With a median of 12 calls a day, MacLeod mentioned the Cape cobra, mole snake and home snake had been probably the most generally reported sightings.
Recently movies went viral of a mongoose taking up a Cape cobra at Atlantic Beach Golf Estate in Melkbosstrand.
This adopted a sighting of a puff adder on Table Mountain.
MacLeod suggested residents to remain no less than 3m from a snake, and control it whereas rescuers had been on the way in which.
He mentioned people created a home for snakes, with untidy gardens, storing rubble of their backyards, and preserving exterior lights on at night time that appeal to geckos, which in flip attracted the aurora home snake, which feed on geckos.
“Snakes don’t create burrows. They go down burrows of rodents and eat the family of mice. Then they come out to catch some sun. While they do this, the family of the mice comes to visit, and they get eaten as well,” mentioned MacLeod.
The puff adder was predominantly present in Paarl and Stellenbosch, whereas it was doable for all different snakes to be noticed throughout the peninsula.
Dr Cindy Stephen, director of the Poisons Information Centre on the Red Cross War Memorial Children’s Hospital, mentioned varied poisonings, together with these from snake bites, elevated within the festive season.
“In holiday time, we must take extra care to ensure medicines and chemicals are stored safely away from children. The warmer summer months also mean more snakes, spiders and scorpions are active and the incidence of envenomations increases markedly.
“Snakes and scorpions are out. Always wear closed shoes when hiking and use a torch when walking outside at night. In the event of a snakebite, keep the person calm and quiet, and transport them to the closest hospital without delay,” Stephen mentioned.
The 24/7 Poisons Information Helpline quantity may be reached at 0861 555 777 in case of poisoning emergencies.
To report a snake intrusion within the Western Cape, name MacLeod at 082 532 5033.
Cape Argus
