Imagine not being able to sleep because of the unsettling sounds of a black mamba in your ceiling. Nhlanhla Zikhali could not sleep when he heard these sounds in the ceiling.
He took some pictures before calling for assistance to remove the snake.
However, his uncle, Mpilo Mthiyane, from Montclair, did not share his bravery and refused to go have a look. “I saw the photograph and that was enough to keep me from going into the house. It did not look like a harmless garden snake we find in the yard, and the body was thicker,” he said.
Nick Evans, a snake rescuer said receiving the call about a snake hanging from the ceiling in a bathroom. He said he had to rush to the family`s aid but the task was not easy as the snake was hiding. He said the snake was pressed against the wall as he was told on the call.
Nick Evans, the founder of the KwaZulu-Natal Amphibian and Reptile Conservation, said residents are urged not to try to capture, but most importantly, not to kill a snake.
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“Fortunately, the family did not mind that we had to punch holes in the ceiling to find the intruder. They said that as long as the snake is gone, we could remove the whole ceiling if we had to,” said Evans.
They search the whole house but the snake was hiding so well, around 01:00 they abandoned the rescue since they could not see the snake. “We returned the following day and managed to find the slithery serpent perched on a center beam in the roof”.
“As soon as the mamba started moving, I managed to grab hold of its tail. Warren handed me his tong, and once the mamba’s head was visible, I grabbed it. Despite it being frustrating at times, it was a lot of fun,” he said.
He said the mamba, which weighed one kilogram, has since been released away from the residential homes.
“Leave them alone, as you will put yourself at a high risk of being bitten. Snakes are not a threat as long as you leave them alone. They will only strike if they are threatened. If you need it removed, phone a professional,” he said.