Snake rescuer Nick Evans was called to the beach late yesterday after a Southern African Python was found entangled in debris; it was clear she had been washed down the river.
KwaZulu-Natal, South Africa (14 April 2022) – Nick Evans, a snake rescuer from Durban was called in the rescue a 3-meter python that had been washed from upriver, out onto the beach in Westbrook.
The beautiful snake was thankfully found by residents of the area that were assessing the damage to the beach. They noticed the large snake entangled in a selection of debris and called Nick for assistance.
The Southern African Python is a powerful creature, fierce and yet it is endangered. This is due to the species being illegally trafficked. Southern African Pythons (Python natalensis) are classified as CITES II internationally, and as a Threatened or Protected Species (ToPS) under the National Environmental Management Biodiversity Act (10/2004).
This rescue was a great one for the species. Nick and his wife Joelle set off to collect the snake once they got the all-clear that the road was safe and open to use. They arrived and made their way to the area where the snake was entangled.
Nick secured her head to make sure she couldn’t use her powerful jaws to injure him and to make sure she didn’t move further into the mass of wetland debris.
“As many will know, the beaches have been trashed, covered in debris. Well, residents near the Westbrook area were checking out the state of their beach, when they spotted this large Southern African Python among the debris.
Poor thing must have had a heck of a time. The Tongaat river was quite close. It must have got washed down, and ended up here. It must have been like being in a washing machine.”
“The python was entangled in the debris, but I saw the head sticking out one end. I grabbed that quickly, as I was worried it would try head deeper in.
I then fed the head back through the vegetation, towards where the rest of the body was, while trying to rip out some of it with my free hand in between. Resident, Tony Perkins, helped me pulling vegetation out the way, untangling the snake.”
Once the snake was freed from the debris, Nick was able to see just how large she was, a total of 3 meters! She was in good health and had no injuries. It was clear she was cold and exhausted.
She is currently recovering and resting before she will be released. Nick will wait until the weather has cleared and it is safe for her to be placed back into the wild.
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This isn’t the first time Nick has dealt with a 3m snake, in 2019, he was part of a team that rescued and released a 3,9m python into the Kloof Gorge.
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