When would you kill a snake?
I helped a neighbourdispatch of a fairly large, dangerous snake after it was wounded. I cannot see it suffer though. It still bothers me.
Killing snakes
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I can not answer this fairly because I will and can catch pretty much any snake. If I really can not catch it I can make it leave area.
If I was faced with a snake that was decidedly dangerous and I could not catch it because it was unreachable, I would then look at where it is, if it was in a no alternate choice area, like someone's house, it would have to die.
If I could not catch it, but it was in a shed or lappa etc I would just try make it leave. Our lodge( 16 sheets of iron and some school black boards for walls) had a Cape Cobra move in under the air conditioning (about 16 pallets nailed together as flooring).
I just stuffed a few tins of smoldering old overalls and leaves in where I could and left it to work, the snake left and we slept there same night.
I removed a Cape Cobra from a lodge recently by simply spray it with water till it moved, once it was in the open I moved closer to it and it just kept moving away. I grabbed its tail once and let go straight away, it was then in full flight mode. Luckily for the guests, the river was like 20 m away and it headed straight for the water, once it had crossed the river it seemed the guests were happy that it was not coming back.
I suppose if you uninformed, fearful or had a bad experience things will differ for you.
I just hate people that go to the bush and then wish to kill the spiders and snakes they see, suppose in ones home and where loved ones are each must do as he can.
Adders I remove from the garden with a rake and bucket, and deposit them far away from the house.
Boomslang, I just leave them in the garden. They don't bother me and have never come into the house.
I have never seen a Cape cobra in the garden/ house, but that might need to be professionally removed, or dispatched if necessary, as they are deadly if you if you get bitten.
Finding a snake catcher is not always easy and having a dangerous snake in my yard will force me to kill it. I have only dispatched a rinkhals in the 40 years that I have lived in my house.
As I am out in the veld very often due to my work, I will move away from snakes if I do find one by chance. In nearly 46 years I can safely say that I have had less than 20 visible contacts with snakes whilst working.
We are on the same frequency.
Despite growing up on a small holding, I have too little close-up experience with snakes.
They usually do no harm, and even dangerous ones mostly want to get away.
I would live to do a snake catcher course, or work with one for a while, just to get used to it.
I have never seen a Cape cobra in the garden/ house, but that might need to be professionally removed, or dispatched if necessary, as they are deadly if you if you get bitten.
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I think the adders are the most dangerous to man of the snakes because of their often "non flight" ways, they just lie their, like a well hidden gin trap. Dangerous, very dangerous snakes.
I fear cobra's because of their toxin, and their turn around and deal with you manner if you challenge them ( which as a "for fun " snake catcher is a must do). That venom of the cobra, the way it works just scares me more than other snakes way of killing you. Horrible way to die me thinks.
I spoke to a snake catcher once who wasn't much worried about cobras. He said that they get tired very quick, so he let them bite into a piece of cloth three or four times, then they are played out and easy to handle.
Apparently mambas don't tire easily. And they are aggressive.
He didn't like pythons at all, simply because they are enormously strong and have a vicious bite. Catching them is not that difficult, but handling them can be very troublesome.
I spoke to a snake catcher once who wasn't much worried about cobras. He said that they get tired very quick, so he let them bite into a piece of cloth three or four times, then they are played out and easy to handle.
Apparently mambas don't tire easily. And they are aggressive.
He didn't like pythons at all, simply because they are enormously strong and have a vicious bite. Catching them is not that difficult, but handling them can be very troublesome.
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Ya ! Pythons bite properly, I think they bite like cats that do not let go, sharp sharp cat like puncture and the bite bleeds like properly indeed.
Interesting the bit about cobras tiring, I wonder if the biting does the trick ?, Cause I have tail walked Cape Cobras from farm houses for a long way with them just keeping going.
What is the truck with catching a mamba ?
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Getting it wrong would be biggest issue I guess.
I am told they are turn around and convince you to fuck off snakes. I caught a Mamba about a half meter long when I was about 11 or 12 years old, it was going into a hole crack in ground, so it was easy. The problem was that it was in the Kruger Park in front of a lot of people and I was just a kid, so got into a lot of trouble.Never seen another mamba in nearly 50 years, never had a second go at one, guess I would not even try knowing what I know now.
I can not believe some of the snake shit I did as a kid, even into my 20 ties.
"Oom, hoe weet ek dis n mamba?"
"Jy weet, ou seun. Jy weet."
We have quite a lot of mambas in certain areas. It is true - one knows it is a mamba. The longest one I have seen was over four metres, and I have seen others of close to three metres.
Installed the ASI app on my phone yesterday. Very useful and plenty of info on snake catchers and snakes in general. Good photos for ID as well. Just Google African Snakebite Institute and install.