Snake catchers have hands full with snake season, KZN locals warned
The warm weather means more slithering snakes to deal with...
Summer isn't all about enjoying poolside time with friends and family.
In fact, it has become more and more prominent to us that besides the other surprises that visit us now and then - uh-hum (loadshedding and water outages) - there are some snaky surprises too.
Snakes are coming out in their numbers as the hot season peaks and snake catchers/handlers are calling for vigilance.
"Snake catchers have their hands full as more and more snakes slither into human habitations due to the warm weather and abundance of food, leaving residents rattled." (News24)
The heat waves have hit us hard over the last few days, so, we can understand that if we are feeling it, the snakes must be too.
Snake handler, Nick Evans told News24: "The heat we have been experiencing could be one of the reasons we are seeing so many reptiles come out from hiding. It's been chaotic with snake-catching in the last few days. Some of the black mambas, specifically, are looking for comfortable, safe hideouts to lay their eggs. So when they come out, we get more calls."
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What's worse is that we can expect to see pregnant black mambas at this time of year.
Naturally, when these black mambas come out and are greeted by humans, they become quite defensive. The fearful humans and the defence mode from snakes make life a little difficult for snake handlers.
This is why Evans advised that residents please be cautious and avoid trying to hurt or kill the snakes. He went on to say that snakes are more fearful of us than we are of them.
In short, people are afraid of snakes due to the way they are portrayed in the media, and Evans assures people that there are "no man-eating anacondas" lurking around.
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