Durban - Local snake rescuer Nick Evans said he received the most exciting call last week as a pair of mating black mambas were engaged in an office romance at a business premises in Reservoir Hills.
This comes after Evans caught a female black mamba on May 4, 2022 and two males on the same property.
Evans said the presence of the snakes did not make the staff too comfortable.
“But the most uncomfortable staff member was one who lived there, and her front door was just above where these snakes were,” he said jokingly.
Accompanied on the call-out on Friday by Dr Cormac Price, Evans said while there was a nearby bush to set the mambas free in, a decision was made to relocate them.
“When Dr Cormac Price and I peered over the wall, and saw what you see in the photo, we were amazed! A pair of mambas cuddling! What a privilege to see something like this,” he said.
With time being of the essence, Evans said they could not admire the rare sight for too long as they had to catch them before they went under the building.
He said he reached down grabbed the smaller mamba first and brought it back up. Price held it with the tongs while Evans went back for the second snake.
“I grabbed the second one, and brought up the much larger mamba. It was furious! She wouldn’t reverse into the tongs for me, and tried thrashing around. I managed to get her in the bucket with the tongs on the front quarter, and my left hand on the tail. Not a method I usually use,” said Evans.
Evans added that capturing snakes in such situations helps them learn more about their behaviour.
“For me it was quite interesting to find a female exactly where another was, in mating season,” he said.
He said the female snake was 2.5 metres long while the male was around 2 metres.
“Five mambas at that property now, and I’m sure there will be at least one more male, following the scent of that female.
“A really special call. Thanks to the staff at the premises for calling, and for wanting these snakes to be safe. Always an attitude I appreciate,” he said.
