A black mamba, a vine snake and a cobra: All in a day's work for Durban snake catcher, Nick Evans

Durban snake catcher, Nick Evans, had his hands full with rescues on Thursday after a quiet few days. Picture: Nick Evans

Durban snake catcher, Nick Evans, had his hands full with rescues on Thursday after a quiet few days. Picture: Nick Evans

Published Oct 18, 2024

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After a 'quiet' week, Nick Evans says his phone rang non-stop on Thursday for snake sightings around the City.

Durban's favourite snake catcher, said he went on four calls and managed to capture three snakes.

"The snakes could sense a change of weather was coming," Evans joked.

His first rescue was a black mamba from a home in Westville North.

"The snake was basking in a garden after eating what we presume to be a new-born rock dassie or hyrax. We know there is a healthy breeding colony on the cliff, below the homes," Evans said.

A female black mamba was rescued from a property in Westville North. Picture: Nick Evans

Evans explained that the snake basking in the sun meant it was gathering energy so he had to work quickly to restrain the 2.3 metre long female.

Evans then made his way to Highland Hills in the Pinetown for vine snake hiding in a patch of shrubbery near a family's front door.

A vine snake spotted in shrubbery at a home in Pinetown. Picture: Nick Evans

"The first shrub was the worst possible place to look for a vine snake. Every branch looked like a vine snake. Eventually, we must have scared it to moving into a nearby shrub making it easier to spot. Its a nice, adult specimen, measuring a metre in length and one of the most feisty vine snakes I have ever rescued," Evans added.

It was back to Westville North a short while later for a cobra rescue.

A cobra. Picture: Nick Evans

"It had taken refuge from the strong winds behind a storage box in a sun room. It was as defensive as these snakes almost always are, spraying my phone when I got closer for a pic, tongs in hand. I ushered it into the African Snakebite Institute capture tube," Evans said.

He said with cooler weather and rain expected next week, it will be a few quiet days until snake activity picks up again.

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