Snake action increased in the South Coast where Boomslangs and a Green Mamba made appearances in the Amanzimtoti and Adams Mission areas, since the start of the new year, with warnings for residents to call in an expert to handle the slithering creatures for the sake of safety.
Famed snake rescuer, Nick Evans, reported the sighting of two Boomslangs in Adams Mission. “We are coming up to mating season, where males can be seen wrestling for females. The callers described the snakes to be moving a lot which I presumed was combat. The first one wasn’t too difficult a catch. It was lying on top of a granadilla creeper, growing over a hedge, between two homes. I pulled it out with the tongs and pinned it down as a crowd gathered around me. A decent sized Boomslang, ‘in the blue’, preparing to shed,” said Evans.
“I saw the second, went after it, but it vanished. It was also in the blue. Boomslangs are fast,” added Evans.
Meanwhile, in Amanzimtoti, a beautiful Green Mamba grabbed Evans’s attention. The 1.5m female was removed from a woodpile after it was disturbed from its comfort zone by the wind. “Green Mambas are arboreal, sticking mostly to trees. They don’t like the wind and that’s why it probably moved around. The harmless, non-venomous Spotted Bush Snake is out in force as usual,” said Evans.
As a warning to residents, Evans said: “If you see a snake, and think it’s not venomous, please don’t touch it. It’s not worth the pain. If bitten, get to your nearest hospital.”
