Durban snake rescuer Nick Evans, in his words, had “a memorable cobra and a memorable call” after rescuing a 164cm Mozambique spitting cobra in Pinetown.
Before the rescue, Evans had spotted a juvenile black mamba in a tree on the same property as the cobra. Two different snakes at the same property, at the same time.
Evans said that on Friday, he and a friend responded to a call for a possible black mamba in a garage in the Moseley area, Pinetown. He said that when they arrived, he heard birds going absolutely crazy in the trees behind the garage.
“I knew it had to be a snake. But I wondered, would it be the mamba that was in the garage? Perhaps it came out of the roof? It was very possible,” Evans said.
He said that he scanned the trees while his friend searched the garage.
“I counted six species of birds before eventually spotting the snake. It was high up in a scrambling shrub, just outside the property, pretty much in Paradise Valley. Judging by the size, I thought it was a spotted bush snake, but I couldn’t make out much else,” Evans said.
He said he went for his binoculars, which were in the car.
“I looked up at the snake, and to my surprise, it was a black mamba! A tiny one, it couldn’t have been more than 80cm at most,” Evans said.
He explained that mamba sightings at this size are rare. In the hatching season, February to March, he would usually receive two to four calls a season for hatchlings. But after a few months, none. They are known to grow quickly.
“I was surprised this one was still so small,” Evans said.
“I tried catching it, but I stood no real chance, and it escaped. It would have been nice to get a measurement.”
Evans said he knew the black mamba was not the snake he was called out for. The homeowner would not describe the juvenile as a 1.5m to 2m long snake.
He said they soon found the snake in the garage.
“A Mozambique spitting cobra, an absolutely massive one. I let my friend catch it, as I despise being spat at, and try to avoid it at all costs, to limit risks of developing allergic reactions to it,” Evans said.
“I used to measure and weigh all of the cobras I caught, but have since stopped for the above reasons. However, this one was so impressive, we just had to. Unfortunately for me, when we did this, I got a notable venom shower, but thankfully, none in the eyes.
“The monstrous female measured 164cm in length. I’ve only seen two or three longer than that, the longest being 181cm.
“A memorable cobra, and a memorable call,” Evans said.
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