FOR three months, a Chatsworth chicken farmer allowed a Mozambican spitting cobra to live on his farm as it protected his stock from rodents. But when it posed a risk to his employees, Lee Pather had to take action.
Pather, from Pather's Poultry, said the snake, which is venomous, had ignored the chickens.
“The farm borders the Silverglen Nature Reserve and it is not uncommon to find snakes. When we spotted the Mozambican spitting cobra, we knew it was venomous but we let it stay on the farm because it did not harm the chickens. It may have been feeding off the chicken eggs, but we did not see this," said Pather.
“When the snake made its way to the area where the employees and I often work, I had to have it removed. On Monday, we spotted it hiding in a pipe, which led to a drain, so I called Warren Dick, a snake catcher from the Bluff."
Dick said while removing the snake, the venom got into his eyes.
“We found the huge Mozambique spitting cobra at the entrance of the chicken coup. It was not a record length, but the girth of it was thicker than my wrist.
"While the owner said the snake did not interfere with the chickens and did a good job at eating rodents, there were concerns a worker could get bitten. The snake had been living there for a while and judging by its overall health, it had been feeding on rodents.
"The snake was hiding in a drainage pipe and employees kept a close eye on both sides of the pipe to ensure the snake did not escape or hide in hard to find places.
“I flushed it out of the pipe with water. By the time I had the snake safely in my hands, I was covered in venom. I then put it away and washed my hands but I forgot to rinse my face, which was sweaty. The sweat ran into my eye, and the venom, which was soaked in my sweat, entered my eyes. It began to burn,” he added.
Dick said spitting cobras usually sprayed venom in the eyes and this was painful.
“The venom can cause temporary or permanent blindness if left for a long time in the eyes. If a spitting cobra sprays your eyes, you need to rinse your eyes immediately with fresh water for about 10 minutes. If immediate action is taken, there is usually no permanent eye damage.
“If you are bitten by a spitting cobra, the cytotoxic venom can cause serious damage. One can die from the venom of a bite. Antivenom will save your life but it does not prevent you from necrosis or skin rot. After a bite, one may need months of medical care and skin grafts."
He said due to it being snake season, residents would see more snakes in their yards.
“As we head into autumn, snakes become more active. There is a high likelihood of people encountering snakes until the end of May. The main way to deter snakes, is to make sure the garden at your home is neat and tidy, and there are no rodents or frogs breeding. Rubbish or rubble also attractions snakes.
“Venomous snakes that people are bound to encounter are the Mozambican spitting cobra, black mambas, green mambas, and twig or vine snakes. Harmless snakes could be the brown house snake, spotted bush snake and the herald.
“If one encounters a snake, they should keep a safe distance. If they want the snake relocated, they should keep an eye on the snake's whereabouts, so that when the snake catcher arrives, the snake can be found."
Pather said this was not the first time he found a venomous snake on the farm.
“Last year, there were two black mambas on the farm. They had to be removed before they bit anyone. We have one more black mamba living on the farm, but it stays in its space. Although we have had a few sightings of it, it has not come into the space where we work."