WATCH | Street has hat-trick of snake sightings in one week

Three residents in one San Remo street had visits from snakes this week.

Verdi Road resident, Shireen Primus-Adams, was the first to find a cobra in her garage on Tuesday 24 March.

While Primus-Adams was telling TygerBurger on the phone today, Friday 27 March, about her adventure, she spotted the same snake-catchers that had come out to help her earlier in the week pulling up at a neighbour’s house further down the road.

She made enquiries and called TygerBurger back to confirm that another snake had indeed been found in the street.

Regular snake visits

But Primus-Adams was not surprised. She said Verdi Road borders a nature reserve and snake sightings are a regular occurrence in the area, not only the street.

Her personal snake adventure began on Tuesday afternoon, when her backyard tenant, who is on crutches due to surgery, spotted a snake in the garage.

“He used to work for the defence force and had training on this, so he identified it as a cobra but could do nothing about it because he is on crutches,” Primus-Adams said.

Snake-catchers were called and despite a meticulous search of the garage, the snake could not be found, she said.

Reappearance

The cobra made a reappearance the next day though, in her neighbour’s yard.

The same snake-catchers dutifully made the trip out again and this time was able to corner and catch the cobra.

“Hulle is so glibberig,” Primus-Adams commented. “Now they are there and then they are not.”

She said that the three sightings in the same week were among many others in the area and often the snakes are found in weird places, like on a floaty in the pool, as one resident in the area discovered.

Footage of the sightings are usually shared on the area’s WhatsApp group, she said, adding that some of the videos go viral.

Illegal to kill snakes

Despite the regular snake visitations, Primus-Adams was surprised to learn from the snake-catchers that residents are not allowed to kill the snakes found on their properties. “I don’t know if I would be able to do that,” she said. “I have my children and grandchildren to think of.”

A local snake catcher, who preferred to be called MK, confirmed that this was true.

“Firstly, it’s illegal to kill snakes,” he said. “And it’s dangerous. Besides, snakes are important for the ecosystems to keep rodent numbers intact.”

He confirmed that snake sightings in Strandfontein were very common and that catchers were called out almost every day, especially in warmer months which are peak snake season.

What to do if you find a snake on your property

“First, don’t panic,” MK said. “Do not attempt to pick up the snake as you do not know if its venomous or not. Many people, because they watch TV or read National Geographic, think they can identify a snake. It’s a very dangerous thing if you don’t know the identification of snakes.”

Take a picture of the snake, from a safe distance, if you can, he advised, and send it to the snake catcher.

READ ALSO: Stay safe during snake season: Tips from a local expert

“Try to keep eyes on the snake to make it easier for the catcher to find, but safely so,” he added.

Snake catchers don’t come out at night

He added that while most catchers don’t come out at night because it is too dangerous, sometimes a handler might, if the snake is in a place that is lit and could pose a danger to the people in the home.

“If the snake is in the yard or on the property, just leave it; it will move on on its own. Snakes don’t stay in one place too long.”

Another option would be to close off the area where the snake was seen.

“The individual catcher will advise when called,” he said. He added that snake catchers do the job voluntarily, though some have call-out fees to cover expenses.“It varies from catcher to catcher ranging from R350 upwards,” he said.

Their numbers are listed on https://www.africansnakebiteinstitute.com/