Snake catcher Jason Arnold was not surprised when he received a call to remove a black mamba from the roof of a home in Newlands West, KwaZulu-Natal – a home where he has captured at least four snakes in the last three years.
“I’ve caught about four or five black mambas at this house over the last three or so years,” he told News24.
The mamba was hiding inside the plastic waterproofing of the Parlock home. Using a knife, Arnold carefully sliced open the waterproofing to get to the snake.
The snake was most likely looking for something to eat in the roof, Arnold said.
“It was purely to go and look for rats and birds. This time of the year, snakes generally don’t make roofs their permanent hideout, because it gets too hot.”
Refuge
Snakes prefer to find refuge in roofs during the colder winter months.
Arnold said the mamba did not have a chance to leave after the owner of the property spotted it.
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“It stuck its head out, but the owner was standing there. It obviously felt too threatened to leave,” he added.
And, if the landlord’s presence was not enough, two protective Indian Myna birds, trying to protect their nest, had it covered.
“Every time the snake stuck its head out of the roof, the birds would make a commotion. That’s when I decided that I would have to go into the roof and get it out.”
Arnold grabbed hold of the 2.2m snake and removed it from the roof. It was later released into an area far from people.
