Over 100 Black Mambas Caught in 2021, Nick Evans Shares What He Learned: "They Aren't Evil Killing Machines"
- Nick Evans shared a recap of his interesting highlights and findings in catching black mambas in 2021
- The snake rescuer caught more than 100 black mambas last year and got 30 calls for mamba rescues in December alone
- He shared that while these figures may be alarming, it is not a reason to be scared and provided key tips on how to keep safe should a person encounter this snake
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2021 was a busy year for Durban’s popular snake rescuer, Nick Evans, who captured more than 100 black mambas. He also received 30 calls for mamba rescues in December alone, 21 which were captured (including a few by close friends).
Source: Facebook
While these figures may terrify the average person, he shared figures and details of some of his highlights and findings.
“The Greater Durban Area (eThekwini municipality) has a population of close to 3.5m people. Well, I've looked at a few sites for exact figures, some suggest more than that. But let's call it 3.5mill. In 2021, while trying to network with doctors at different hospitals or other snake-removers, I recorded a total of two confirmed black mamba bites. There may have been one or two others not recorded. Two. Out of 3.5 million+-. About 0.000057% of the population,” said Evans.
On his Facebook page, he shared that in the course of all these black mamba discoveries, there was one bite that was a real freak accident. A juvenile mamba had crawled into a gumboot and the inevitable happened.
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“The second was this month, where a man was trying to beat a mamba to death. Attacking a mamba is a bad idea. You don't give them that option to flee, and so they retaliate, striking back. He ended up in hospital, while a snake remover went to take the unharmed snake away. Both patients survived,” he said.
Evans reiterates his lesson that such incidents show people that black mambas aren't evil killing machines, killing people on a daily basis.
“It also shows your chance of surviving a black mamba bite in the area is very high. Death from a black mamba in Durban is very rare.”
According to Evans, black mambas are not something we need to worry about constantly – but not that he means you welcome them into your homes.
His says that should one encounter a black mamba, just move away from it slowly. Should you want it removed, its best to call a snake remover. Do not try to kill it or capture it.
Lastly, are there too many black mambas around? Evan says:
“No one can say for sure. It's one thing I'm trying to figure out. But how many is too many? (opinions based on fear don't count). Personally, I don't think so. Durban's got great habitat, and thanks to messy people, an incredibly high rat population. Plus, a lot of feral cats (mambas feed on the kittens). Natural prey includes dassies, there's plenty of them, as well as birds and indigenous rodent species (around homes, it's mostly the alien invasive house rat).”
Evans ends by sharing that while the black mamba may be one of the most thought-about species and his personal favourite, it is not the most common one in Durban.
Massive 2.3-metre black mamba chills behind couch in KZN home
Briefly News previously reported on a black mamba that slithered its way into a KZN home recently but thankfully snake rescuer Nick Evans was available to save the day. He received the call about the unannounced visitor on Boxing Day, Sunday, 26 December.
Evans shared that a lady had been relaxing while sitting on a chair, with her feet up when suddenly, a large snake slithered out from behind the couch that her feet had been on.
In his Facebook post, Evans said the domestic worker in the home had unknowingly been cleaning around the couch a short while before the snake was seen.
Source: Briefly News
