Snakes alive – 4.3m python gets man’s goat
SNAKES and mankind often do not mix well for numerous reasons, but in KwaZuluNatal’s Ladysmith area, a 4.3m long rock python had a lucky break yesterday after eating a local resident’s goat.
Instead of it being hacked to death, the owner of the goat alerted the police, who called Ladysmith’s snake catcher, Fanie Cilliers, to come and remove the troublesome reptile, literally from his back yard in the Emcitsheni area.
The owner of the goat, identified only as a Mr Nzimande, told Cilliers that he had already lost two chickens to rock pythons that morning.
“Mr Nzimande claimed that this was the third python for the day, and when the python took one of his goats he had had it. He claims that the previous two pythons each ate a chicken from his livestock and that this is a norm as this happens frequently,” said Cilliers.
Cilliers said when he arrived at Nzimande’s yard, the python was still giving the goat the squeeze of death.
“I grabbed this beautiful African Rock Python (python natalenses) female and pulled her from the cliff ’s edge where I could work with her safely. I then bagged her and we started the long walk back to the car with the 28kg python on my back.”
Cilliers said the python would be released into a nearby game park.
Police had alerted Cilliers to the python after Nzimande had reported it to them.
Cilliers said when he moved to Ladysmith he read numerous reports in the town’s newspapers of snakes being killed – something he did not like. So he introduced himself to the council as the Ladysmith Snake Removal Team – with his wife Melissa, daughter and son. – ANA