Snake Catcher Nick Evans Rescues 4 Black Mambas Including 1 Pregnant: 'Good catch'
- Durban snake rescuer Nick Evans has documented his latest adventure, and it shaped up to be an interesting one
- On a record day for the experienced handler, Evans said he managed a total of four black Mamba rescues
- The first of the lot was one found to be heavily gravid (pregnant), which he said will be released after it's laid its eggs
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Well-known Durban snake 'whisperer' Nick Evans was at it again after rescuing a record number of black Mambas in what he described as a crazy Sunday.
Turning to his @nickevanskzn Facebook page, Evans noted that of the four catches he made, the most he's ever managed in a single day, one of the snakes was heavily gravid (pregnant).
Source: Facebook
The pregnant Mamba was the first rescue, having crossed paths with the serpent early in the morning near Varsity Drive in Reservoir Hills.
"The Mamba was seen on the side of the road, trying to get into a hole in a recently dug up and re-filled trench," Evans wrote.
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"I raced over, picking up my friend Nick Saunders, who lives up the road from me, on the way. A security officer stayed on the scene, keeping an eye on the snake for us.
"Fortunately, the snake hadn't moved much during our rush there. It was struggling to get down the hole, although most of the body was down now. I grabbed the tail, and Nick (Saunders) started digging away the sand."
Snake relents as perseverance pays off
Evans said it quickly dawned on them as they continued digging that the snake had slipped in surprisingly deep.
"We switched roles, Saunders held the tail, and I started shifting rocks and sand away. The more we uncovered, we discovered she was heavily gravid and was probably going in there to lay," added Evans.
The rescuer said after more digging, the reptile eventually reversed back out from the hole.
With his friend firmly holding onto the tail, Evans pinned her down as the head appeared. He described it as being about 2.3m+ in length.
"She'll be released after she lays her eggs. When her eggs hatch in a few months, they too will be released. A brilliant way to start a Sunday," Evans added.
Snake-lovers react in kind
The post about the pregnant Mamba attracted more than 320 reactions and was shared 15 times by mystified reptile-lovers.
Briefly News slithered into the comments to bring readers all the incredible reactions to the post.
@Indira Narayan wrote:
"Wow, that's a good catch."
@Carolina Van Heerden said:
"Wow, what a busy day for you, Nick. Thank goodness for people like you; always ready to come to the rescue of your favorite snake. Well done, and God bless."
@Val Tweedie added:
"Mamba season is here. Well done, Nick."
@Samantha Melville ventured:
"Four in one day!! Would these gravid snakes not abort eggs like some snakes regurgitate food?"
@Nola Gaum remarked:
"Where do you release them? We need to know this so we never go there."
Major scare for domestic worker as deadly black Mamba shows face
Briefly News reported that the adventure seems never-ending for Evans, who after a previous catch, slipped into Facebook to give snake-lovers a welcomed update on how the events played out amid another daring rescue.
"Black Mambas, my favourite, have been quite scarce for me of late. So when I got a call for one yesterday, in the Carrington Heights area (Durban south), I raced over!" wrote Evans.
"A domestic worker had been washing outside when she noticed the large snake slithering across the wall.
"She was, of course, horrified and ran inside. But as she did so, she saw it go down the wall and under some plastic and material sheeting."
Evans details the next few minutes and how, with the help of a friend, he managed to coax the slippery reptile into slipping out, although, at the point, he hadn't dealt with a Mamba for a while.
Source: Briefly News
