A 2,5 metre black mamba was killed on Friday at Hendrik Bruyns’ farm near Rorke’s Drift. The highly venemous snake had climbed into a fig tree near the homestead.
A farm labourer saw the snake and alerted Herman de Wet, of a neighbouring farm, who destroyed the snake. Bruyns was not at home at the time.
Bruyns contacted Ezemvelo KZN Wildlife Officer Tony Roberts, who collected the snake and confirmed that it was a black mamba. Black mambas are the largest and among the deadliest snakes of Africa. They they can grow up to 4 metres long, have fixed front fangs and inject a potent neurotoxic venom, which works rapidly.
Death can result within 45 minutes.
Roberts described the snake as ”average-size” for a black mamba, but said what had pleased him was that he had been called out to identify the snake. ”What makes me angry is when someone tells me they have killed a green mamba in the Midlands, when it is a coastal snake. What they probably killed is another, far less venemous snake,” said Roberts.
He said he wasn’t in favour of killing snakes, but if there was the possibility that someone could be bitten by a snake as venemous as a black mamba it was better to kill the snake.
Roberts said the species favoured rocky outcrops with bushes and close proximity to water. They were also pretty territorial and would sun themselves in the same spot day after day.
Mambas are adept at climbing trees but spend most of the time on the ground, feeding on rodents, small birds and lizards. When the snake has bitten the prey, it follows its quarry until it collapses and then devours it.
He said, contrary to the popular belief that these snakes were aggressive, black mambas were very nervous snakes and could not be easily approached. They head for the nearest cover and in most instances avoid detection.
However, once the snake was cornered, it would take on an aggressive stance by raising the top third of the body off the ground, spread a small hood, open its mouth, which is black inside and from which the snake derives it’s name, and hiss loudly while slowly flicking the tongue up and down.
”At this point if one threatens it further, it is like going into a boxing ring with Mike Tyson …,” Roberts said.
”Should anyone end up in this kind of situation, the best is to step backwards slowly and leave the snake alone. While the person steps backwards the snake will then retire and head for cover”.
Roberts and KwaZulu-Natal Wildlife honorary officer Peter Dearlove are ”atlassing” snakes at the moment.
”Even if a snake must be killed we would like to be informed so that we can correctly identify the snake and record its distribution.”
Anybody with snake problems in KZN can contact Roberts on 082-721-1373 (all hours) or Dearlove on 082-541-4751 (weekends or after 6pm during the week) or Peter van der Merve at 083-453-5580. – Sapa