A gravid, or pregnant, Mozambique spitting cobra is recovering safely after being rescued from an office property in Westville, west of Durban, where it had been chased and surrounded by a troop of monkeys. The incident was reported to snake rescuer Nick Evans, who responded to the call on Sunday with fellow rescuer Carla Goede, shortly after the pair had completed survey work. Evans said the snake was fortunate to have been noticed before it was injured, explaining that monkeys often react aggressively when encountering snakes.
According to Evans, a gardener at the property heard monkeys making a commotion outside but ignored it at first. After about 10 minutes, the noise continued, prompting him to investigate. He then saw the monkeys chasing a large cobra down the driveway and off a retaining wall, where it managed to hide behind concrete blocks.
The gardener kept watch to ensure the snake did not escape until Evans and Goede arrived. Evans said the cobra remained tucked tightly behind the wall, occasionally lifting its head to check for the monkeys. Because the snake was wedged between a retaining wall and a palisade fence, the rescue required precision.
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Goede positioned herself above the wall with long tongs while Evans worked from below in the narrow gap using smaller tools. He eventually managed to grip the snake with mini tongs and manoeuvre it out far enough for both rescuers to secure it safely.
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