We thought it would be informative to share this unfortunate story with our readers and supporters.

Recently some of our staff members encountered a 2.5 – 3 meter long black mamba on the property.

Black mambas are fast, nervous, lethally venomous snakes, and when threatened are highly aggressive, so needless to say this was a little too close for comfort!

Dr. Rogers confirmed that one of HESC’s male cheetahs, Tim, was bitten on Monday afternoon at approximately 2pm. Sadly Tim did not survive the attack.

We have yet to identify the location of the snake, but are in contact with veterinarians and herpetologists in order to take the necessary steps and use the most appropriate procedure in order to capture it and release it into the Kruger National Park.

While we are generally very welcoming of all visitors, due to the danger that the black mamba poses we simply cannot be as accommodating as we ordinarily would be.

Black Mamba Safety Tips

If you are planning on travelling to areas where the black mamba resides, make sure that you look at pictures of the snake beforehand so that you can identify it should you come across one.

Initial symptoms of being bitten by a black mamba include dizziness and difficulty breathing.

However you do need to seek immediate medical attention as cardiac arrest will occur within the hour.