Man saves black mamba from drowning on Durban beach
After spotting the snake battling for its life, drastic
measures were taken.
While uncommon, finding a snake on the beach isn’t unheard of. For the second time this year, a venomous black mamba was discovered on a Durban beach by a group of fishermen, who quickly called a local snake expert to help rescue the reptile from drowning.
The venomous creature made its way to the water where it was thrown around by heavy waves before washing up. More waves dragged the snake out to sea again before being thrown back onto the sand.
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The snake was found fighting for its life. Jason Arnold, the expert called out to the beach, confirmed that the snake had ingested water into its lungs. To save the snake’s life, drastic measures had to be taken.
Jason, with the help of a bystander on Glenashley Beach, drained the fluids out of the two meter-long snake and rushed the snake off to a top class observation unit for further treatment.
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“I gently held the head facing down, allowing gravity to drain the much swallowed and inhaled water to drain out of it. Every time the snake exhaled, I could literally feel the vibrating of the gurgling water in its lung,” Arnold says. “Once I had drained all of the water that wanted to come out, I safely bagged the snake in a large duvet cover. The female mamba, measuring about 2.3m, will be taken home and kept under observation until it can be given a clean bill of health.”
He adds: “Thereafter, it will be released into a suitable habitat away from humans.”
Jason confirms that he doesn’t often encounter black mambas on beaches around the province and believes that this particular reptile
was “washed down a stormwater pipe that led out directly onto that beach with
the heavy downpour we had on Tuesday.”
Image courtesy: Jason Arnold / Facebook