According to the catcher, the snake weighed in at a cool 33.1 kilograms and was ‘ready to pop any minute’.
Durban – A four-metre long pregnant female python was rescued from a den under the stairs of a deck at the Zimbali Eco Estate recently.
According to Durban snake catcher, Nick Evans, the snake weighed in at a cool 33.1 kilograms and was “ready to pop any minute”.
Evans said the snake had been seen basking on the deck which caused some uneasiness amongst residents.
“Plus, it sounded like she had eggs and that she was basking to keep them warm. The thought of having dozens of baby pythons – which are harmless – didn’t appeal to the neighbourhood,” he said.
Evan said the snake had made a den under the stairs.
“We had to dig holes for us to get it. It was hard work! We soon learnt she wasn’t on eggs. But from the glimpses of her body, we could tell she was gravid (carrying eggs). Little did we know, we were right next to a bee hive, in a drain. We learnt the hard way. Nick Saunders, who joined to help and I received multiple stings on our head, neck and I even got one between the eyes and ear. We were in a lot of pain,” he said.
Evans said they had to wait for a bee remover to come in and remove the angry swarm.
“Eventually, we dug enough to get to her, and a tug of war ensued. We tried to do it in a way as to not cause too much stress and discomfort but this was really difficult. Goodness me, I cannot find the words to describe the power of this beast. Just immense. We eventually got her out, when we were just about out of energy. We were gobsmacked at the size of her,” Evans said.
He said the snake will be kept until she lays her eggs.
“It was a truly unforgettable experience and snake!” he said.
The Mercury
