Corlet (l) and Tanita (r), about to release the Mozambique Spitting Cobra back into the wild
On the 23rd July, we got a very distressed call from our on-site butchery informing us that there was a cobra in the men’s bathroom.
WCE student coordinator, Tanita, responded right away and went straight up there with her snake handling kit. On the way she met up with Corlet, Zee’s (anti poaching dog) handler, who was happy to come and lend a hand. These girls are no wilting flowers, that’s for sure!
When they got to said bathroom, they found a young Mozambique Spitting Cobra, colloquially known as an ‘mfezi’. Luckily Tanita had protective eye wear, and wasted not a moment in retrieving the slithering offender.
One last goodbye from the mfezi before it made its way off
Thankfully and conveniently, the cobra slithered into a black gumboot for protection. This was immediately loaded into the snake transportation bucket, and driven onto Kapama Reserve. At this point the snake was summarily released.
The snake catchers watched as the reptile made its way into the bush and hid under a tree among some leaves and twigs. It was wonderfully camouflaged, and very happily back home.
Yet another successful animal release…
Goodbye, and go well!