Monster Black Mamba With Huge Girth Stares Down Snake Catcher

A "monster" black mamba was found sitting in a tree staring down at a snake catcher that had been called to remove it.

Snake catcher Nick Evans—who owns a snake removal service in the Greater Durban area of South Africa—found the 9.5-foot reptile at a home in Reservoir Hills.

Black mambas are the longest snakes in Africa, meaning most of them are an impressive size. The species also possess a deadly venom that can kill someone within 30 minutes.

The average size for black mambas is 7 to 8 feet long. But in rare cases they grow even larger.

"To most people, any Black Mamba is large, and rightly so, as they're big snakes. But often, to a snake remover, we consider these supposedly large snakes relatively small. That was not the case today," Evans said on a Facebook post.

When Evans arrived at the house he spotted the snake through some fencing. As Evans attempted to open a gate in order to get to the mamba, the deadly snake started down at him from only about four feet away.

Despite being highly venomous, black mambas are usually shy and flee at any signs of humans. But this one did not.

"Usually, a mamba would have fled by now. I think this one had more confidence than most. Perhaps thinking, 'Surely this creature isn't going to attack me,'" Evans said in a Facebook post.

Even when the snake catcher opened the gate and stepped close to the mamba, it did not move. In a swift action, Evans secured the snakes head and then the rest of its body.

That was when he realised how large it was. The snake was not just long, but had a huge girth.

"I couldn't believe the girth of it," Evans said.

After measuring it twice, they realized the snake was 9.5 feet long, and weighed 7.9 pounds.

Evans said he has only ever seen a few black mambas that reach nine feet. He once found one that was nearly 10 feet long, which is the biggest he has ever found.

"This is a well-fed animal. There apparently used to be Dassies around. Used to be, I see where they went. Large rats certainly would have been on the menu. It probably sniffed out any feral kittens in the area too," Evans said.

"Its head was large for a mamba, and it had a few scars. An old-looking mamba, perhaps 15 to 20 years if I had to hazard a guess. To see and rescue an animal like this, is very, very special. Certainly made my day!"

It is currently South Africa's snake season. Snakes are more active during the warm, summer months meaning they are spotted more regularly. It is also more common to find them near residential areas, as they enter houses in search of shelter or prey.

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