African Wildlife and Environment Issue 66

FAUNA, FLORA & WILDLIFE

FAUNA, FLORA & WILDLIFE

community! The homeowner told me that he saw the snake enter the house via the back door. Not knowing what it was, he approached it, and nudged it with a broom- the wrong thing to do! This caused the mamba to panic. It raised its head slightly, exposing the black inside of its mouth as a warning. It then shot behind the washing machine, then it climbed up onto the machine, and then using that, it managed to get itself up onto the curtain rail. It was now perched high up, on which it had an advantage. It made itself safe from predators/attackers- well, almost. I approached the mamba with great caution, and a small amount of nerves. I’ve never had to deal with one in a situation like this. Having a cornered mamba is one thing, but having one cornered and above you, is another thing! I had fears of it striking down at me- which is not what they usually do. Nevertheless, I walked up, and gently grabbed its ‘neck’ region with my tongs. I gently pulled them along the rail, further from the corner, and in reaching distance of me. It came quietly, only pulling back once or twice. With his head now pinned by the tongs, I took the chance to grab its head with my hands. I now had it safely secured- phew! That turned out to be much easier than I thought it would be! Mamba enters an elderly couple’s lounge… On one hot summer’s afternoon, an old couple were sitting and watching T.V, until their little dog started

encouraged my love for nature. He had never been on a rescue call before, so I picked him up on the way. The caller had taken an afternoon nap, and as she woke up, she heard something moving next to her bed. She looked down, and saw this big Black Mamba, moving alongside her bed! What a sight to wake up to! It started moving behind some drawers, and so using her duvet as a shield, she inched past the large snake, whilst its head was tucked away. When I walked in, I first searched behind the drawers. It wasn’t there. I looked around the very cluttered room, and thought that the search might take a while! Then, I noticed the cupboard was slightly open. I opened it up, and I could see a portion of the mamba’s body on a box, at the bottom of the cupboard. The hanging clothes were covering the rest of it. I moved the clothes aside, and spotted the head. Panicking, the mamba desperately tried to climb up the sleeves of one of the shirts. It was causing the hanging clothes to sway from side to side! I was enjoying this comical scene, and took a few photos. Eventually though, the trapped mamba was getting agitated, and so it was time to capture it. I tried pinning it down with my tongs, but it wasn’t going down without a fight! It thrashed and spun around, trying to get out of the tongs grip! I had a brief opportunity to grab it behind the head safely, an opportunity that I took quickly! I pulled it out, had some photos taken with my grandfather, put the snake in a bucket and went home. I posted the story and pics on my Facebook page, and it triggered a global response, with the post going viral. It was quite remarkable to see how fast news spreads thanks to social media! Mamba on a curtain rail! I had just finished off an article for social media, ending it by mentioning that I had been missing my mambas! It had been around three weeks since I had last caught one. As luck would have it, my phone rang. The call came from a small town on the South Coast, called

There is a mamba IN MY HOUSE! Being a snake-catcher in Durban really has its privileges. To me, the biggest of them all, is the fact that Black Mambas are pretty common in the beautiful valleys and reserves here, which are nestled amongst suburbia. These remaining natural areas are relatively small, and completely surrounded by human habitation, whether it’s fancy homes, or modest tin shacks. So mamba/ human conflict is inevitable really. These snakes, as well as others, have little choice but to venture into our areas from time to time. They need to find food and shelter somewhere – but this does not always please people! The Black Mamba has an awful reputation amongst the general public. It has long believed to be the one snake that will actually chase you, as it is highly strung and aggressive. Like most beliefs about snakes, this is false. Black Mambas are very nervous and alert snakes, which always try to shy away from people. They will always flee rather than ‘fight’. On my rescue calls, I have cornered many mambas, and even chased after a few. Not once have they charged at me, or turned around to start chasing me. They’ll desperately try to get away. Although if escape is futile, and you are way too close, it is most certainly capable of striking out and biting you, quicker than you can react. Then you’re of course in a lot of trouble, and you’ll need to get to the hospital ASAP! It is interesting to note that most people who get bitten by mambas, and who seek urgent medical attention, do survive. Antivenom is very effective, and necessary! Mambas vs pets One issue that occasionally arises from mambas entering properties is a clash with pets. Unfortunately, if dogs see a mamba in the garden, they will instinctively attack it. The mamba will try to get away, but often they get cornered and mauled by the dogs, leaving them no choice but to bite back. By the end of these nasty encounters, the mamba is usually dead, and so are the dogs. The dogs don’t usually even make it to the vet. It is a tragic accident, which is almost unavoidable. It’s not either of the animals’ faults. But mamba/pet conflict doesn’t always involve dogs. Now and then, I get reports of mambas feasting upon kittens (especially feral kittens in bushy areas), rabbits, guinea pigs and birds. Whatever the case may be, the pets owner/s are usually left angry and upset, and often kill the mamba, which is sad really. You can’t necessarily blame the mamba. These small little mammals are often much easier than catching a dassie (a favourite meal for mambas) on the cliffs. It comes with the territory of living in Africa.

Nick Evans

The Black Mamba is possibly my favourite animal. I think they’re just awesome creatures. Big, fast, powerful (you’d be very surprised at their body strength), at home on the ground or in the trees, and intelligent too. They’re always very alert, and if in a dangerous situation, they seem to calculate quickly what the best thing to do is. A 2,5m Black Mamba is truly an impressive beast, and I love working with them. Here are some of my most memorable encounters with them, inside homes! Mamba in a bedroom cupboard One Saturday afternoon, I received a call for a Black Mamba in a lady’s bedroom in Westville. Now that’s not a call I get every day! The property was just up the road from where my grandfather (a proud Scot) lived. He has been a true role model in my life, and along with my gran, has always

barking outside. The elderly lady walked up to her sliding door, looked down, and saw this large mamba moving alongside the wall, and now trying to enter her lounge! She tried slamming the sliding door, but it was too late, the mamba had gotten its front half of its body inside (they’re fast snakes!). In a panic, and not knowing what to do, she kept trying to close the door, slamming the snake’s body while doing so. The head was right near her feet, and in that situation, the mamba would have desperately trying to bite her, so that it could break free. It is nothing short of a miracle, that she was not bitten. Fortunately, mambas are powerful, well-built animals. It managed to get through the door, and slid underneath the TV. I arrived to find the lady’s husband sitting on the couch, looking quite relaxed, just watching this big Black Mamba. As you do, in Africa. I got on my knees, and looked under the cabinet. It was a big mamba! Wow! Probably shaken and terrified after its ordeal. And I only had a small box with me! “Ah well, here goes nothing”, I thought. I had confidence in my ability, although my hands were slightly shaking. Using the same method, I

Craigieburn. “It’s a Black Mamba, and it’s sitting on our curtain rail!” I made the forty minute drive down the coast in record time. The whole neighbourhood seemed to have gathered at the property, as well as the fire brigade. It clearly had caused a lot of excitement amongst the

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