10/05/2026
My wife and I had just sat down to have a nice lunch at Alfresco Cafe at Hillside Mall on the Bluff when my phone rang.
A rather stressed sounding gentleman phoned, saying he stayed at the residences within the Albert Luthuli hospital grounds, he said he was looking at a huge Black Mamba, they trying to keep it contained but it can move, can I get there ASAP.
There goes our nice lunch, but this was a call I was hoping for this weekend since getting myself a new, redesigned snake tong from ASI, I was dying to try it out.
We got in the car and raced to the hospital as fast as was safe. Fortunately a security guy had spotted the snake in the garden and actually followed it, for quite a while from a safe distance while trying to get hold of a snake catcher, apparently a few had been called but were not coming, then I was called and responded within 10 minutes. All the security had been told of what was going on, so the way in was made very easy for us.
When we arrived we were told the snake was around the corner but we must first go upstairs and check where it is, we went and looked, I immediately saw it was indeed a huge snake, right at the top of a flight of stairs. I had to approach from the bottom of the stairs. As I climbed the stairs I was worried that the snake would see me coming and would bolt down the stairs/slope. When I reached the top I saw the snake was actually trying to get into the building and was climbing up the glass, even with people on the other side. Fortunately the way the snake was it could not see me coming till it was too late, making for a very easy (if you well trained) catch.
I walked down the stairs to show the staff of the hospital, letting some safely touch and get a deeper appreciation of the animal before putting it in the bucket.
Thank you to my wife for the understanding and being my partner in crime and camera lady, I was so in the zone that I did not even notice her behind me filming.
Also thanks for ASI for giving me a new set of snake tongs at a much reduced price. They are nice and light and strong, made of a nylon glass composite.
This snake is the biggest Mamba I have caught in my career, 2.73 meters long and weighing a whopping 3.750kgs.
Warren: 0722110353
