They say a dog is a man’s best friend. But not for Simon Keys and his girlfriend Siouxsie Gillett. Reptiles are what they consider friends, keeping them as pets for over 20 years. The pair are snake catchers, and star in Snake City, coming to Nat Geo WILD on May 12 at 6pm.
The third installment of the reality show that is shot in Durban and surroundings, follows Keys and Gillett as they go about removing snakes from under beds, in factories and even car engines. Even though majority of the snakes are deadly, these two seem to enjoy the thrill.
The series came to be when Keys started his snake catching business in Durban and a documentary company found out about it and made a pilot show. It was so popular that it went on for a second season and now the third in production.
“We find ourselves in very tricky and dangerous situations. We've had quite a few close calls with black mambas – which when threatened, will just want to deliver the famous 'kiss of death'! On the Nat Geo Wild website there is footage of us in our own kitchen removing a recently captured black mamba from a snake bag to put it into a tank, however this snake flew out of the bag and nearly bit both of us – it’s very scary,” said Keys.
The two own a reptile sanctuary in the UK, where they are originally from. Keys has been catching snakes for around 12 years and Gillett only two. The pair have also been bitten numerous time, but despite this, still continue with the hunt.
“We get bitten daily by non-venomous snakes, but I was bitten by a Copperhead snake twice, famous in the USA whilst in South Africa, there was no anti-venom and I was in excruciating pain but apart from taking a few pain killers I had to ride out the pain. Siouxsie was bitten by a Night Adder during a capture. An anti-venom was not needed but the pain and swelling lasted a week,” he said.
The show brings lots of excitement and intense moments. On season three expect to see lots of huge black mambas, other new species and loads of funny moments.
“We are still amazed at where snakes end up – even after years of doing this – so this will definitely shock viewers! Also stay tuned to see how I try my hand at snake impersonations,” joked Keys.
The show also aims to educate people on snakes.
“We have definitely seen an improvement on how people deal with snakes in their homes and workplaces. They are now calling snake catchers rather than dealing with it themselves. People have also been coming up to us to say thanks to our show they have learnt how to identify snakes. So the show has definitely seen a change in attitude – which we are so pleased about,” he said.
And if you’re thinking about what happens to the snakes after they are caught, either it’s kept by Keys and Gillett in a tank in their home if it is a “medical case” (injured) or they are released straightaway.
“ If we do release them, then the release site must reflect the snake's behaviour, diet and habitat. Forest Cobras, Mozambique Spitting Cobras and Herald snakes need to be released near ponds because they are frog feeders. Deadly snakes are taken out of town and released far from people's homes into their natural habitat. People comment that they do not understand why we release deadly snakes – but we are putting them back in the bush where they belong. Humans have encroached and knocked down their habitats – so no wonder why they end up in people's homes. And people often forget that we actually need snakes around us – for example they form such a vital role in keeping down the rodent population – if we didn’t have snakes, we would be overrun with rodents,” said Gillett, who is also a creature wrangler.
She said some common mistakes people make when faced with a snake problem is hitting the snake and killing it.
“Killing it is so dangerous and unnecessary. The person can end up bitten or even killed by the snake. Most snakes just want to get away. Security companies/armed response do not deal with snakes – in our personal experience they shoot the snakes and walk off, not checking to see whether or not the snake is dead. An injured snake is understandably an angry snake. If you can call a security firm, then you are just as able to call a snake catcher.
Finally, no so-called ‘snake deterrent’ products work (i.e Jeyes Fluid) – don't waste your money,” she said.
*Catch Season 3 of Snake City, on Nat Geo WILD on May 8 at 6pm.