"They Will Not Chase You": Expert Shares What to Do When Encountering Venomous Snakes

• As warmer weather brings more people outdoors, snake expert Arno Naude shares crucial safety tips for avoiding dangerous mountain snakes like puff adders, mambas, and cobras
• In an exclusive interview with Briefly News, the Snakebite Assist Director explained how to stay safe from venomous snakes while hiking and camping this spring
• The potential life-saving advice for mountain excursions includes what to do if you encounter a snake, and how to secure your campsite from these reptiles

By: Tracy Cohen, freelance journalist

The sun is rising earlier and setting later, allowing for longer and more sun-filled days. Spring is definitely in the air, and most people will be spending more time outdoors. This means that the mountains will be busier in the coming months, and dangerous snakes will be more visible in these areas, too. In an interview with Briefly News, Arno Naude, Director of Snakebite Assist, shares important snake safety tips, which could save your life.

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The snakes that are found in mountains range from puff adders, mambas and cobras.

Speaking to Briefly News freelancer Tracy Cohen, Naude said:

“The one snake which is found in numerous mountains from Limpopo and Mpumalanga through the Drakensburg all the way down the Cape mountains is the Berg adder. This species (as the name implies) lives on many mountain ranges and can be rather quick to bite when disturbed.”

This snake has fairly serious venom, and antivenom does not treat its bites.

Naude added, “You may end up on a ventilator so getting to a hospital is a must in the event of a bite,” adds Naude.

How to stay safe when encountering snakes

So, how do we stay safe when these cold-blooded reptiles are roaming around?

“It is important that you do not panic. Move away from the snake slowly and go around it. They will not chase you,” advises Naude.

Make sure any wood you burn does not have inhabitants like snakes, spiders or scorpions.

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“Bang the pieces of wood on the ground a few times in an open area,” adds Naude. Do not put your sleeping bag out until you are ready to get into it, and if you have a tent, keep it zipped up when you are not in it.

A photograph of a snake sighting might seem like a perfect posting for Instagram, but do not get too close, says Naude.

“Snakes can have a deceptively far striking range, which could bring you within that range while trying to focus. Rather try your camera's zoom function.”

Be a considerate citizen and notify other hikers if a snake is nearby, but most importantly, do not try and chase a snake.

“It looks easy on TV, but it takes many years of daily practice to do this successfully,” explains Naude. Enjoy your time in the mountains and take in what nature has to offer, but remember this is the snake’s territory.

3 Other stories about snakes in South Africa

• Briefly News previously reported a 17-year-old teen in KwaZulu-Natal was bitten by a puff adder after trying to pose with it for a photo
• Another snake bite incident was reported in Aurora, Western Cape, after a 30-year-old farmer survived a bite from a puff adder.
• A family's horrifying discovery of a live snake coiled inside their washing machine became a viral sensation online, with a video of the intense removal captivating viewers and sparking thousands of comments.

Source: Briefly News