Be cautious of slithery visitors during snake season
Scorching temperatures unfortunately means that snake season is officially in full swing and Helderberg-based certified snake catcher, Blackie Swart provide some helpful advice on what to do in the event of spotting one of these reptile visitors on your property.
Firstly, he cautions against some of the things people do when spotting a snake, things which actually hinder the work of a snake catcher or complicate things.
“There’s this belief people have, I don’t where it comes from, but they think putting raw onions where the snake is seen, but when I get there the onions actually makes my eyes tear, it irritates and agitates the snake even more; making things more difficult,” he says. Onions he says, will have no effect on snakes.
Another myth he debunks is one where people believe pouring out diesel, or strong cleaning chemicals like Jeyes Fluid in their yards, will keep snakes away. The chemicals says Blackie, will only irritate the snake’s skin, making it even more challenging to capture.
“Don’t pour out chemicals in your yard as it makes the snake irritable and makes my job of capturing him more difficult. There’s nothing that keeps snakes off your property, there really is no snake repellent,” he says.
What people can do he says, is to keep their yards clean. To ensure that there are no hiding places, like stacks of wood, building rubble, rubbish or things snakes can seek refuge under.
He also strongly advises against people themselves attempting to catch a snake; regardless of people thinking or identifying it as non-venomous.
He references a recent close encounter of an individual who recently attempted this. During a call-out to a farm upon his arrival says Blackie, he was informed that the snake has already been caught by a worker and sealed in a bag. To his shock though upon taking the bag, Blackie realised the snake escaped through a hole in the bag.
Fortunately he was able to spot the snake attempting to crawl into his car, but warns Blackie, as this turned out to be a highly venomous, Boomslang, things could have been fatal for the worker who captured the snake himself.
Besides, the fatal threat of snake bites, Blackie warns against exorbitant medical costs which can result from treatment for snake bites. Thus should people under no circumstances try to catch a snake.
Instead he advises people to always immediately call out a snake catcher and while waiting on the professional to arrive, if possible, cordon off or lockdown the area, room or location the snake was seen in. “Close the door, put a towel under the door,” instructs Blackie, explaining that the main aim is to contain or trap the snake in the spot.
It’s absolutely crucial to keep children and pets away from the area where the snake was spotted. One should keep a close eye on the snake (from a safe distance of about 2 to 3 metres) while waiting for the professional to arrive, he says. Another helpful thing is to send the snake catcher a picture of the snake, this gives him chance to identify the snake.
Keeping an eye on the snake’s movements is crucial says, Blackie, as snakes have a tendency to escape. A favourite hiding spot to seek refuge for snakes he says, is the inside of vehicle engines, a struggle for him to remove them from.
Blackie says he has had some narrow escapes with capturing snakes in these popular hideouts. He recalls one of his most terrifying moments on the job, a recent experience he had with the capturing of a snake in the engine of a bakkie on the R44, in the Stellenbosch vicinity. “When the snake popped out about 5cm away from my hand, it was a puffadder,” he said about this close encounter.
Puffadders, Boomslang and Cape Cobras are of the common species he often captures in the Helderberg region.
He has an absolute appreciation for snakes and care for their well-being, thus he discourages the killing of snakes found on properties. “Snakes play a huge role in our ecosystem and nature, they have a purpose and this is why I always release them back into nature,” he says.
People should be cognisant of their right to live and rather call out snake catchers to capture snakes in a cruel-free manner, he says.
