DURBAN - Snake rescuer Nick Evans has been on many call-outs to rescue snakes, but never at Mount Vernon where a green mamba had been spotted at a private home.
Evans said he got a call from a fellow snake catcher for assistance, as he did not have his tools with him at the home, which borders the Kenneth Stainbank Nature Reserve in Yellowwood Park.
“This is an area we'd generally not expect to find green mambas. It's a bit inland, and the reserve is mostly surrounded by suburbia, almost closed off by it. I've never had a call from there. A friend of mine, though, is sure he saw one in the reserve,” he said.
He said when he arrived at the house, he could not believe that the snake was actually a green mamba, which was sitting on top of an outdoor geyser, positioned vertically against the wall, just below the edge of the roof.
“I ran in, and saw the mamba’s head going up towards the roof. To avoid what could potentially be a tricky and lengthy roof capture, I grabbed it with the tongs,” said Evans.
Evans later realised that he could have taken his time, as the roof was sealed.
He said the snake had come from the garden, climbed up the gutter pipe of the house, climbed along the eaves of the roof, and ended up on the geyser.
“The mamba was incredibly calm. I pulled it's head gently towards me, and I secured it with my hand. I could feel it was warm, starting to cook on the hot, steel geyser,” he said.
Evans said the other snake catcher stepped on some bricks and unwrapped the rest of the snake’s body which was curled around something on top of the geyser.
Evans said apart from the unusual place the mamba was found, the catch was hassle-free.
“The beautiful snake has since been released in a safer, natural environment,” he said.
THE MERCURY