Was visiting a friend last night, and at about 20:00, I decided it's time to go home. As I got to the gate, I got a phone call for an extremely large snake on a farm nearby, and that the owner's dogs were trying to go for this "extremely large" snake...
Grabbed all my equipment, except a torch (stupid *face-palm*), and rushed out to the farm. On getting there, there were 4 dogs running around, and the owner standing in the road. After the greetings, and explaining how he saw this ginormous snake on the porch, we proceeded to the veranda. He pointed to a large metal dog kennel, and shined his torch in to the corner.
Peering carefully around the side, I immediately moved back, grabbed a full-face visor, and the longest of the two sticks that I had with me, and removed a beautiful, and obviously irritated Mfezi from behind the kennel...
It took 5 shots at the sticks and myself, and had two venom dumps on the sticks thereafter, and did not want to stay in the tote box, managing to push the lid straight off, and start climbing out, while I was busy talking to the owner.
The one dog, a pureblood staffie, had obviously tried to tangle with this beasty, and had come off second best. There was some blood around the Mfezi's mouth and neck, but no signs of trauma or injury on the snake, except at the tail, where it seems the dog(s) may have tried to go for the snake, and it just defended itself, and I said as much to the owner. I helped them wash the staffie's eyes out, and suggested they get the dog to a vet for further treatment, should it worsen, or look as if it is getting more uncomfortable for the dog.
By now, it was 9 pm, and I had to pick up the missus from work, and putting hazards on, and driving just within legal limits, I rushed off, hoping and praying that a traffic officer would stop me, and request to search my vehicle... Unfortunately, they all seemed to be on coffee break at the local garage...
Well, got the snake home, into the outside room, away from my other long-term captives, and started an inspection of the snake, with 5mm glass between us. It sprayed a few times, and after realizing that the glass was preventing the desired effect, it decided to try standing, hooding, and gaping... This it did with gusto, and even when I moved to over 3m away, it stayed in that "confrontational" frame of attitude... So, without further ado, here are the pics that I did manage to get.
Starting with the bloodied tail... Most likely one of the dog's handiwork...
A shot for size comparison (left enclosure wall is 40cm long)...
Side Profile
And the business end...
Well, the really nice thing about this one is that it is a first for me... After herping this area for about 20 years, it is the first one that I have actually seen here, even after all the stories and yarns about farmers seeing them etc. So, finally a "new" species that I can cross off my list.
Thanks for reading, and enjoy!