It is mating season for black mambas, and this explains why three of these deadly poisonous snakes were found on one property in Verulam, north of Durban.
Snake catcher Arnold Jason, who resides nearby, was called to the family home for the third time to remove a 2.8m black mamba curled near the front of the property. Locals saw the tree slither from a tree onto the property and told the owners.
Facebook users enjoyed a front row seat during a live video which followed the movement of the snake until Jason located it and pulled it out the bushes a few minutes later.
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Residents watching the video gasped loudly as he handled the snake, and eventually stored it away in a plastic bag to relocate him.
The snake twisted and defecated on Jason’s arm to try and break free from his grip.
He was hoping he had found a female snake, but instead it was a male – the third male he has recovered from the same property in as many weeks.
“It’s another boy. This is the third boy coming out of here so there has to be a female around here. They can smell her. It is mating season for black mambas and they want to live with her so that as soon as the mating season starts they are already there.
Jason assumes there is a female in the area attracting the males, as it is almost mating season. He also alluded to high black mamba “activity” in the area for the very same reason.
Residents have been warned to practise extra caution until the female is recovered.
The black mamba is one of the world’s deadliest snakes, it takes only two drops of potent venom to kill an adult human.
During mating, males fight for the attention of females. The female lays anything between 6 – 25 eggs, then she slithers away and never sees them again.
