Many South Africans are terrified of snakes, and there’s probably little that can be done to change that.

Thankfully, what is slowly but surely changing is the approach towards dealing with an unwanted serpent guest, which is why snake experts like Nick Evans are involved with so many catch and release missions.

One recent incident, which took place on the KZN North Coast, involved catching a 3,5 metre, 25-kilogram Southern African Python.

The species can grow up to 5,5 metres, and reach 65 kilograms, but a smaller individual can still prove tricky to grapple with.

In particular, reports News24, one defence mechanism had Evans worried:

[He] could be heard shouting: “don’t let it poo on me”, several times, as he held the snake down

“It’s disgusting. A friend of mine once had one squirt poo in his mouth and because of his reaction, I didn’t want that to happen to me,” said Evans.

He explained that pythons usually did this as a defence mechanism when faced with a threat.

10 points for dedication to the cause, because despite the threat of getting a mouthful, Evans and those assisting him still managed to get the job done.

A close call:

Watch from the 1:15 mark and you’ll see a second angle, which makes it clear why Nick was so worried about ending up with a face full of python shite.

The snake was later released away from the property, with a microchip for tracking purposes.

The African Snakebite Institute keeps a list of snake removers in areas across the country, with the same information, as well as detailed descriptions of each snake species found in the region, available on the free app.

If you find a snake on your property, and you’re unsure what species it is, the safest thing to do is to contact a professional.

[source:news24]