Nick Evans with the green mamba.
PHOTO: Facebook/Nick Evans – Snake Rescuer
- KwaZulu-Natal snake rescuer Nick Evans had a close shave with a green mamba he caught in a wendy house.
- Suddenly the snake panicked and bolted toward him.
- But it enabled Evans to make a “quick and easy” catch.
KwaZulu-Natal snake rescuer Nick Evans had a close shave with a green mamba he caught in a residential wendy house south of Durban.
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But he managed to grab the slithery customer when it panicked and came toward him.
“One of the residents noticed it on the deck of the wendy [house] and, if I’m not mistaken, thought it was a hose,” said Evans.
This green mamba was initially mistaken for a garden hose.
Supplied PHOTO: Facebook/Nick Evans – Snake Rescuer
“He stepped back, and the snake was seen slithering up the door before it went into the wendy.
“I opened the door of the wendy house, which was being used as a storeroom, and it was absolutely full! My heart sank. I could see myself searching for a while.
“Green mambas are arboreal. They love to climb. So, I scanned around the top shelves of the Wendy, and to my left, caught a glimpse of the body on a top shelf, a quick and easy find.
“I approached it and sensing me, it tried to hide, moving up against the wall, behind some random objects.
“But then, it panicked and thought it needed to move. It came out right toward me, allowing me to grab it with relative ease.”
Evans described it as “a quick and easy find and a quick and easy catch”. The mamba was fairly young and about 1.2m long. Evans released it later on Saturday.
Disappointing start
But, said Evans, his weekend started on a more disappointing note.
“I was woken up with a phone call just after 06:00 by a large organisation. There was a spotted bush snake that needed removing at their one premises, to help calm the nerves of the staff,” Evans said.
“Well, I arrived, and the snake had been beaten to death. It was gravid, full of eggs. I left, feeling extremely depressed.
“The real kick in the teeth was that I have done many talks there, for the staff, in order to prevent this. Then seeing this just made me think it was all a waste of time. No apology, no explanation, no offer to cover my petrol costs, nothing.”
As for the green mamba, Evans said it was a “rare treat” to handle the snake.
“I only get a handful a year, due to them being restricted to coastal forests, and usually staying in the trees.”
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