Snake enthusiast and catcher Nick Evans was called to Chatsworth, KwaZulu-Natal to catch three Mozambique spitting cobras, stuck in a ditch.
Evans told The Witness that this was an unusual find, as these snakes generally mate in September or October. There were concrete slabs covering the ditch. When Evans inspected further, he saw the tail of a cobra immediately disappear under the slabs, and another disappeared up the bank.
After moving the slabs one by one, there was unfortunately only one snake to be found. It was however a pregnant female.
‘When I captured her, I could see she was full of eggs, and this was a nice place for her to lay. She, or another female, laid there last season, as the homeowners encountered about 19 hatchlings,’ said Evans.
The female was 1.5 metres long. Evans kept her until she laid her eggs, after which she was released.
She laid 21 eggs, which Evans plans to incubate until they hatch in about three months’ time.
Pictures: Nick Evans
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