Durban — A black mamba had to be removed from the eaves of a roof in Effingham in Durban.
Snake handler Jason Arnold said that it had been a warm winter’s day, with a temperature of 26ºC, and no clouds in the sky, or wind. It was a nice warm day.
However, there was no snake activity, and he had not received any calls. Then, at about 4pm, when the sun was going down and it was starting to cool down, he got a call from a family in the Effingham area.
“They've got a large black snake that's apparently coiled at their front door or back door. They seem to think it's a mamba and they live right along the Umhlangane River, so it very well could be a mamba, and could also be a spitting cobra,” Arnold said.
When Arnold arrived at the home, he was shown where the snake was – under the eaves of the roof. He was informed that the snake had climbed up the gate to get there.
With his tongs, Arnold grabbed the snake, pulled it towards him, caught its neck, and then the body just fell into his arms.
Arnold said it was a nice and healthy snake.
“It’s a female and she’s very healthy, she’s got good weight on her, a good size. She must be about 2.5 metres,” Arnold said.
He added that a few onlookers had thrown rocks at the snake before he arrived.
“I'm just gonna tell you, guys, for the next month just be very aware of that area here by the gate and up on the roof, because if there's a boy somewhere in this Umhlangane River and he smells her scent he’ll follow the scent. And he’ll end up in exactly the same place looking for her because it’s now their mating season, so just be aware that that could happen,” Arnold warned.
Arnold added that black mambas were only as dangerous as you made them.
“So, with people like this they get all excited and want to try to kill the snake. You're gonna make the snake angry, make it scared.
“But if you just leave them alone they'll never ever just come for you. They’re quite shy and actually very peaceful and that's exactly why it travelled around the house and up the gate and on to the roof, because it just wanted to get away, it’s all it wanted to do,” Arnold said.
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