Durban — It was a catch and release for South Coast snake catcher Sarel van der Merwe, who removed a chicken-munching python over the weekend.
Van der Merwe said that he got a call from a man in Munster, Port Edward, who told him there was a big snake, he could not describe, in his chicken pen and it had eaten one of his chickens and curled up in the pen.
He said he told the man not to approach the snake and he made his way there.
Van der Merwe said that upon entering the property, he told the man he had been there before. The man agreed and said Van der Merwe had caught a green mamba once.
“He has plenty of chickens and his property is surrounded by nature,” Van der Merwe said.
He said he decided to enter the property without a snake box. He wanted a sneak peek before selecting his tools.
Seeing the snake, he went to his car and took what he needed.
“I got it out of the nest, dragged it out and it regurgitated a chicken,” Van der Merwe described.
“It’s a very powerful thing, it was like a wrestling match to get it into the box.”
Van der Merwe said when being handled, snakes tend to regurgitate their prey.
“Within half an hour it was released,” Van der Merwe said.
“I released it at Mpenjati Nature Reserve, which is not far from where I caught it.”
Van der Merwe added: “Thanks to the owner for caring, and that got me out to remove the python, and sorry about his chicken.”
He said that because the snake is protected, he did not want to travel far with it and he wanted to release it in its habitat.
When asked about the snake’s length and sex, Van der Merwe said the snake was strong and he was alone, therefore he could not measure or sex it.
“It was a strong fighter,” Van der Merwe added.
He said southern African pythons are protected in southern Africa as vulnerable in the latest South African red data book, and may not be captured or killed. In South Africa it is the only one of its kind; a very large and bulky snake that cannot be easily confused with other snakes.
Meanwhile, in an unrelated incident, Limpopo police spokesperson Colonel Malesela Ledwaba said it was reported that on Saturday, February 24, K9 Bina, a Belgian Shepherd, was found killed by a python in her kennel in Lephalale K9.
Seven-year-old Bina was trained in Roodeplaat Dog School, Pretoria, in June 2019 as a narcotic detector dog. She established herself as one of the top dogs in SAPS Lephalale K9, helping solve drug-related cases in Limpopo.
“Just before her death on Saturday, Bina helped in the arrest of three suspects found with crystals, nyaope and cat drugs worth an estimated R75 000 in Lephalale,” Ledwaba said.
“She was taken to Roodeplaat Vet for a post-mortem.”
Limpopo provincial commissioner Lieutenant-General Thembi Hadebe paid tribute to Bina following her untimely death.
“These dogs have the ability to go into places that an ordinarily human being would not be able to; they have the ability to detect incriminating items or items with evidential value just by using their senses. They are certainly part of the SAPS family. It is a big loss to the unit and the province. Rest well, Bina,” Hadebe said.
WhatsApp your views on this story at 071 485 7995.
Daily News