Durban - We often hear cat owners tell stories of cats bringing ‘presents’ inside the house, sometimes leaving the rats, geckos and harmless snakes on a bed or couch, but rarely do you hear of a cat delivering a puff adder to its owner.
Local snake catcher, Nick Evans, said the recent warmer weather has seen an increase in snake activity, with some of the incidents involving conflict with pets.
“This young puff adder, in Inchanga, was taken to someone by their cat, as a present! Some present. I was surprised the cat avoided getting bit by the fast-striking, highly venomous snake.”
Evans said cats seem to be brilliant at dodging snake strikes.
“Fortunately the snake was unharmed,” he said.
However, he said two cats at a home in Pinetown were not so lucky.
“Two cats at a home in Pinetown couldn't dodge the spray of a Mozambique spitting cobra though. I believe they recovered,” said Evans.
Evans said there were also a number of reports of cats bringing in or killing spotted bush snakes and green water snakes, which are both non-venomous snakes. These snakes are often killed by cats.
With regard to incidents involving dogs, Evans said there were three cases last week in which dogs were spat at by Mozambique spitting cobras.
He said in two cases the snake managed to escape.
“They usually do. It's a brilliant self-defence mechanism, but it doesn't always work. The dogs survived after their owners rinsed their eyes out with water,” he said.
In another incident, Evans said two dogs were bitten by a rhombic night adder.
“Sadly, one dog, a Boston terrier, passed away. I've recorded many night adder bites in Durban and it's only the second or third dog to succumb to a night adder bite. Very sad,” he said.