Another Black Mamba Rescue!

Another Mamba!!!

Last week I was called out to a township in Valley of a Thousand Hills, KZN, for a snake in a car.

The description was a brown snake with a yellow belly, so I thought probably a harmless Brown Water Snake. When I got there, the owner of the old, unused bakkie, said it was about 50-60cm. So I thought it probably was a Water Snake, especially with a yellow belly. He said it was inside the bakkie.

As soon as I opened the driver's door, I got a very strong peppery/curry smell. I knew then exactly what it was, that was the smell of a Black Mamba!

I couldn't see anything, so I poked under the seats with my hook stick. There was so much rubbish under it that I couldn't see anything. Then suddenly I heard a large snake moving! It was definitely bigger than what I had been told!

The movement stopped and I still hadn't seen anything. I opened the passengers side, had a look and still couldn't see anything. I then assumed it went into the dashboard. I started slapping the dashboard, then through a gap I could see the gaping black mouth of a Black Mamba!

All I could get hold of, of the snake, was the tail, hanging down from the dashboard. I got hold of it, but couldn't get the snake out. It wouldn't budge (I wasn't pulling hard). I started taking the dashboard apart bit by bit. A bystander then spotted the head by the clutch pedal! I tried encouraging it out but it still wouldn't budge, it seemed stuck. After taking some parts of the dashboard out, I could see where the snake was stuck. Right in the middle of the dashboard! It was quite a desperate situation, as bystanders were beginning to get impatient and started suggesting the snake would have to be killed as it was stuck. I pushed and pulled it from both ends gently, but it was properly stuck.

It's head then disappeared from where it was. I took out the part where the car's gauges are, and there the head was! I was sitting in the passengers seat while trying to get the snake unstuck. Then, all of a sudden, it broke free! I jumped out of that car very very quickly!

The snake started reversing out, so I was able to gently pull it out. It was exhausted after it's hour and a half long ordeal!

A few people from the township had come to watch. Once I had the snake out, they all got a good look at it. It was nice and calm (well, probably just tired!), but it was a great advert for mambas. The people could see that it wasn't this vicious evil monster, determined to kill everyone in sight. They were very interested and amazed!

We measured the snake, a female, which stretched out at 2,3 meters. A few people touched it and had their pics taken with it. It will be released far from people.

What a great day with an incredible snake! There's just nothing like a Black Mamba!