Durban - It's been a busy start to February for Durban snake catcher, Nick Evans. This week he rescued a mamba or two and even managed to 'free' a Nile Monitor Lizard from a pool in Cowies Hill.
Evans said on Tuesday, he was called to Queensburgh where he rescued a 1.9 metre female black mamba that had taken refuse under a dining room cabinet. He said the homeowner was alerted to the snake by her small dogs.
"She crouched down to pull them away. As she did so, she heard a drawn-out hissing sound. That's when she discovered it wasn't a rat, but something that eats a rat," he said.
Evans said it was a quick and easy catch and he'll be releasing the snake son.
Evans also reported rescuing a Nile Monitor Lizard from a swimming pool in Cowies Hill.
"The homeowner scooped it up towards me with a pool net. This worked well. Not a big one, less than a metre long. Cute little lizard.
“These are common in the greater Durban area, although they're often killed by cars, dogs and people. It is a protected species and illegal to keep or kill," Evans said.
He said Monitor Lizards are not a threat to people and are capable of defending themselves by biting, scratching or whipping their tails.
It was off to another rescue in no time for Evans when he retrieved a spotted bush snake.
"This is by far the most common snake in the greater Durban area and in many parts of coastal KZN. They are completely harmless, non-venomous, and only a threat to your house geckos," he explained.
Evans said they are thin, green and have a yellow bellow.
"They are no more than a metre long with black spots going down half the body. The coastal-dwelling green mamba is plain green and specimens under a metre are rarely seen. Boomslang only start turning green when they're around a metre, and by then, they're much thicker than a bush snake. Spotted bush snakes can be shoo'd away with a broom, or simply left alone," he said.
Evans also rescued a black mamba and boomslang just hours apart from homes in Mariannridge and Northdene.
He said he was able to retrieve the black mamba 'quickly and easily'.
"I soon arrived at the home, in Northdene. The snake had come in through the window, and hid behind the TV cabinet. It took me a while to find it, which I thought was odd, because black mambas, due to their size, aren't usually difficult to find, especially in a place like this.
But I lifted up something, a box I think, and there was this beautiful boomslang," he said.
On Friday, Evans rescued a black mamba in Moseley Park.
"I was called back to the Moseley home that I was at on Monday, where I picked up a black mamba that had been shot with a pellet gun.
This time, it was an untouched mamba. The large snake had slithered into a 'bird room'. It's the third or fourth I've caught in that room.
I don't think it was happy I took it away from its many meals to be," Evans said.
IOL