KZN security officers rescue 2.5-metre African Rock Python
Imagine responding to a vehicle theft call only to find one of the largest snakes in the snake world.
In an unlikely turn of events, three security officers from KwaZulu-Natal's Reaction Unit South Africa became heroes in a snake story.
What began as a response to a stolen vehicle call in the vicinity of Canelands, KZN, swiftly became a rescue mission for one of the largest snakes in the world, an African Rock Python.
The African Rock Python is known to reach lengths up to 6.5m, but this one was 2.5m. To give you some context, it's more than the length of the tallest person you know.
A post on the Reaction Unit South Africa Facebook page read: "Officers, Nathi Ndaba, Thulani Blose, and Kumaran Marimuthu were initially dispatched to Timber Road to investigate a stolen vehicle, but found the snake near residential homes and an industrial area."
The RUSA officers' calm handling of the incident made us wonder if they were, in fact, natural snake handlers.
Their training is extensive, considering the officer who held onto the snake oozed confidence. Their priority was to ensure the safety of the residents and the snake.
We all know what fear can do to some people. So, they confidently handled the python and remained cool, calm, and collected throughout the rescue. One commentator wrote that this wasn't the first time they witnessed this officer rescue an animal, and he was always so respectful.
We think we may have found a natural 'snake whisperer'.
Experts from the Ndlondlo Snake Park in Ballito were called to help relocate the African Rock Python.
The African Snakebite Institute said: "Attacks on humans are rare and fatalities virtually unheard of. This snake is largely active at night but fond of basking during the day. It is at home in water and can remain submerged for long periods."
It wasn't only brave of these officers to help maintain the snake's well-being, but it also reminds us not to let fear get the best of us when we see something that scares us.
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Image Courtesy of Facebook