Durban: A 3m python that was captured by a herdsman who intended eating it, has been rescued and is recovering at Dangerous Creatures in uShaka Marine World.
Durban snake catcher Nick Evans said he received a call this weekend from a community member in Osindisweni ,saying that he had convinced a herdsman into surrendering a python he had caught and intended eating.
“Even though this is not allowed, it is quite a common practice.”
Evans said decided to take along officers from Reaction Unit.
“When I arrived, I found the python in quite a poor condition. The female had been incubating her eggs when she was taken.
“She was roughly about 3m and weighing almost 8.8kg. These pythons can weigh up to 20kg”
Evans said the herdsman took them to the place he found the snake.
“I was quite worried because the female python incubates her eggs until they hatch and protects them, so I was worried that they had gone without heat for a day.”
When he placed his video camera down the hole he found that 25 eggs had hatched and all the babies had dispersed.
“The area is a very wild area, so lots of natural habitat for them.”
Evans said pythons were not dangerous and did not attack humans.
“In fact they are very scared of us. They generally just go the other way.”
He said the python would receive veterinary treatment and be nursed back to health.
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