Family unknowingly gives Puff Adder a ride to Durban
This is one souvenir you do not want to pick up during a visit to the Midlands.
Imagine arriving home from a family trip only to find that a venomous puff adder has hitched a ride inside your car.
A Durban family received the shock of their life when they returned to their home in Reservoir Hills after a picturesque visit to the Midlands.
They parked their car in the garage and unpacked all their things before heading inside. A few days later, they spotted something short, thick and brown curled up on the garage windowsill.
Burn the whole car and garage! As a matter of fact, burn the whole house down!
Thankfully, the family has more sense, and instead called snake rescuer, Nick Evans.
Nick says when he first got the called he thought it might be a brown house snake, which is common in the Durban area.
The last thing he expected to see was a puff adder, which he says is a rare sight in Durban.
"For Durban snake removers, Puff Adders are rare treats to catch, as they're not really found here. They start occurring further west, in the Upper Highway Area. So this was awesome!" he wrote on Facebook.
"Awesome" is not the word we would use after being alerted to a venomous snake. Run, maybe!?
Nick says the puff adder most likely came from the Midlands after getting a free ride in the family's car.
"The Puff Adder likely crawled up into the undercarriage and caught a lift to Durban, remaining in the garage undetected for a few days.
"Although being in the Umgeni Valley, it could have come up from there. But the more plausible option is that it hitchhiked. Too coincidental for me."
Note to self: Tread carefully in the Umgeni Valley.
READ: Expert explains why picking up snakes can be risky
Nick has crossed paths with a venomous snake or two in his line of work, but even he was nervous about his latest snake rescue.
"Outside the window was a steep drop. I was nervous [that] if I didn't hook it in time, it would dash out and fall, possibly to its death," he continued on Facebook.
"I decided to use tongs, which I never use on Puff Adders. They absolutely hate being grabbed, and swing side to side, striking, which is exactly what this one did, while Carla also had a hook on it. We were not taking a chance."
Thankfully, once it was in, the snake started to relax. Staring at Venomoncé Knowles, as we have nicknamed her, and listening to her rhythmic hissing, Nick couldn't help but be mesmerised by her beauty.
"It's an absolutely beautiful specimen. An adult female (they grow much larger, though), with the most beautiful colours. If you look closely at the tail, you'll notice it's very short. Males have a longer, more slender tail."
We know Durban is the warmest place to be, especially as winter approaches, but hitching a ride without asking is not very polite.
But we'll let this one slide, hopefully as far away from Durban as possible. Anyone taking a drive to the Midlands soon?
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