Snake alert issued as season begins

Durban — A security service based in eManzimtoti has issued a snake alert as snake season begins.

ET Rapid Response managing director Tony Lokker said they removed another venomous snake from a Kingsburgh property on Saturday.

“An alert SAPS member called us when his neighbour encountered a snake on their property,” Lokker said.

He said the snake, a female boomslang was removed. The species has a lethal hemotoxic venom. Fortunately, it is a very slow-acting venom. And, being a back-fanged snake, they need to hang on during the bite to envenomate their prey or victim.

The common venomous snakes. Most of these snakes have a lethal venom and pose a serious life-threatening emergency if bitten. Marked with red skull. | ET Rapid Response

A Kingsburgh resident was bitten by a juvenile green mamba a week ago. An ET Rapid Response snake catcher told the homeowner to tell the paramedics to get their patient to Kingsway Hospital because he was showing symptoms of being bitten. At the hospital, polyvalent antivenom was administered.

“This victim is still in ICU at the hospital, but according to the family whom we spoke to this morning (Sunday), their dad is stable and looking good,” Lokker said.

ET Rapid Response put together a mug shot collage of snakes that could be encountered in their neighbourhood. These are some of the most common snakes in the Durban area.

“Please note, these are not all of the snakes you might encounter in our area, but a list of the more common ones you might, and ones we have caught and removed over the years,” Lokker explained.

Green snakes that are common in the area. Venomous vs non-venomous. | ET Rapid Response

What to know:

Residents need to know the snakes in their neighbourhood.
We live in a subtropical environment and critters and reptiles are part and parcel of that.
If you encounter a snake, get a good look at it, proper identification is important.
If you or someone is bitten by a snake, get to a hospital immediately.
Take a pressure bandage and bandage the entire limb, the same pressure as you would for a sprained ankle.
Then get them to the hospital! We have several hospitals close by - so time is on your side.

Lokker said you can call the ET Rapid Response control centre if you encounter any snakes. They have several snake catchers that can assist.

Common non-venomous snakes in the area. | ET Rapid Response

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