Durban — While opening a Christmas present, a daughter found a snake, a herald or red-lipped snake, under the Christmas tree on Christmas Day.
Neville Ganes of Neville’s Snake & Reptile Rescue, in the Eastern Cape, shared a video of the rescue with a fitting caption, “Hark! The Herald Angels Sing”.
Ganes said the mildly venomous herald snake was relocated from a residence in Qonce, Eastern Cape.
He said that while a family was opening presents under the Christmas tree, the daughter spotted a snake underneath her present as she was picking it up.
Speaking to the “Daily News”, Ganes said that between 8am and 9am, a man called asking him to assist because his daughter was opening Christmas presents and when she picked up a gift, she saw a snake under her gift.
Ganes said the man described the snake as a blackish-grey snake.
“I said leave it as it is and I got there under five minutes,” Ganes said.
“When I got there it wasn’t where they saw it, under her gift … I found it under the second gift.”
Ganes said it was a herald snake, a mildly venomous snake, that probably got in the night before because it is a nocturnal snake and probably took cover under the gifts.
“She was terrified, she didn’t want to open her gift afterwards,” Ganes said.
On herald snakes, Ganes said they are originally found in the Eastern Cape. They were found by a news reporter from the “Herald” newspaper, hence the name.
He said herald snakes are a common snake around there. It is also known as the red-lipped herald because of its red lips, but you also get them in orange and some places, white as well. They mainly feed on frogs.
He said that, when threatened, the snake draws its head back into a striking position with its mouth open and its head flattens to expose the brightly coloured lips. The snake’s venom poses no threat to humans or domestic animals.
Ganes added that it was the first time on Christmas Day he had received a call like that. He had before received calls on the day, but not for snakes underneath the Christmas tree.
The month is not over yet, but Ganes has shared a handful of herald snake rescues.
On December 20, he removed a herald snake from a residence in Westbank, Qonce. The snake was seen in the kitchen and found underneath a cupboard.
Two, Ganes had a midnight call-out for a herald snake at a residence in Schornville, Eastern Cape. The snake was seen in a kitchen cupboard and disappeared underneath the bottom panel. After searching, dismantling and breaking parts of the cupboard, with consent, the snake was eventually found.
On December 17, Ganes said that a herald snake was relocated from a garage at a home in Westbank.
Then on December 4, Ganes said a herald snake was found at a government department in Zwelitsha, Eastern Cape. The snake was seen going into an abandoned ant hill. The security guard kept an eye on the snake until Ganes arrived.
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