Black mambas slither into Durban suburbs as mating season closes

Dr Carla Goede and Nick Evans with the grumpiest mamba of the two days. Can't blame it. Picture: Nick Evans

Dr Carla Goede and Nick Evans with the grumpiest mamba of the two days. Can't blame it. Picture: Nick Evans

Published Aug 22, 2024

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Durban — A Durban snake rescuer and a veterinarian were called out to capture five black mambas over two days filled with action.

With the end of a quiet mamba mating season (winter) drawing near and calls for them hard to come by, Friday and Saturday last week became two busy days for snake rescuer Nick Evans and veterinarian Dr Carla Goede.

The first black mamba was located in Westville North where a dog alerted its owner to a snake at the bottom of the garden, on the ground among some shrubs, by his boundary fence. The description matched that of a mamba.

Mamba #1, hoping we wouldn't find it. Picture: Nick Evans

“When we arrived, Carla spotted it up a small tree,” Evans said.

“Luckily I always keep my 1.8m African Snakebite Institute tongs in my car, although even with these, I was a few centimetres out of reach.

“Carla pulled the small tree back and down towards me a bit, giving me the chance to grab the snake. But using its tail, it wrapped around the tree, and refused to budge!”

Evans said Carla held the tree down while he used two tongs to try and unravel the snake, which worked.

“I hoisted the snake out of the tree and lowered it down to where Carla had moved to, holding it while she pinned it down,” Evans said.

He said that while they admired the female mamba, they got a call for another mamba.

Veterinarian Dr Carla Goede with her catch. The first of two snakes at this property. The female, whose scent trail led a male into following her. Picture: Nick Evans

The second mamba was found in Escombe, Queensburgh. It was seen near a front door but it moved down and out the property, hiding among a patch of Agave, a horrible, exotic spikey plant to work with, against a wall when it saw humans, Evans said.

He said pulling the snake out was easy but restraining it was more difficult.

The big 'Burra' mamba hiding behind an Agave thicket. It was not in the mood to be caught! Picture: Nick Evans

“This snake had been in the sun a bit too long, and was fired up! Carla had tongs about a third of the way down the body, from, the head, while mine were closer to the neck,” Evans said.

He said the snake did not reverse straight away as usual.

“Instead, it lunged at me several times, getting a little close for comfort. But eventually, it reversed, and I had the 2.5m+- snake secured.”

The one that slipped away on Friday...now in a ceiling occupied by dassies. Fortunately the homeowner is quite used to mambas, and Nick Evans captured a few there. Picture: Wynand Laatz

For the third mamba, Evans and Carla left Queensburgh and headed to Dawncliffe in Westville. The mamba was digesting a meal while relaxing on a curtain rail.

Mobi-Claw 911 director Wynand Laatz had rushed to the house, to keep an eye on the snake until they arrived.

“Unfortunately, we were about 3 minutes too late. The mamba moved along the rail, and slithered into the ceiling - an inaccessible one - through a small gap, which no one was aware of,” Evans said.

“Thanks to Mobi-Claw 911 and Wynand for the help!”

Nick Evans and Carla Goede returned to the Westville North property the next day, for a male who was after the female which was there the day before. Her smell was there, she wasn't. No, we could never pick up her scent, but the superior smell of a snake. Picture: Nick Evans

On Saturday, Carla and Evans returned to Westville North for the fourth mamba sighting. There was another mamba at the Westville North property they had been to the day before.

A male mamba was where the female had been, on the ground. The snake had picked up the female’s scent. Using his forked tongue, tongue, tracked her down - or so he thought, Evans said.

“Luckily he stayed on the ground, making for a quick and easy catch.”

The last mamba of the two days, hiding in the garage. Picture: Nick Evans

The fifth and final mamba was captured in Glenmore.

A resident who usually captured and relocated snakes in his garden found an adult black mamba in his garage.

Instead of trying to make a plan and get it in a bag or a bucket, the resident called for help.

“It took a bit of searching, but we soon found the mamba hiding in a corner and like the first mamba of the day, made for an easy catch. A well-fed specimen, probably living off rats and feral kittens, which are abundant in the area,” Evans said.

Dr Carla Goede and Nick Evans got the mamba out of the garage quite easily. Picture: Nick Evans

He thanked everyone who called the snakes.

Evans added: “August, I’ve found, is the last month for mamba mating activity. I’m sure there are exceptions.”

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