A professional snake catcher in South Africa encountered the largest snake of his 14-year career when he was called to a hospital to remove a nearly 9-foot-long black mamba.
The 8.9-foot snake was taken from the hospital residences by professional snake catcher Warren, according to Briefly News, without injuries to staff and without harm to the reptile. The report said he relied on 14 years of experience and used specialized snake tongs from the Africa Snakebite Institute.
Black mambas are considered among the world's fastest and most dangerous snakes, Briefly News noted. Their neurotoxic venom can reportedly cause respiratory failure in humans in as little as 20 minutes if treatment is not given.
That is why careful handling is vital when encountering snakes, particularly if you're uncertain whether you're dealing with a venomous or a nonvenomous species.
Warren told Briefly News the removal also aided fellow snake rescuer Nick Evans' research on black mambas.
"Each specimen caught is measured, sexed, and weighed, microchipped (same as you use on your cat or dog), and some other samples are taken from the snake, before it is released back into the wild as far from humans as possible," he said.
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Since a black mamba could endanger workers, families, and bystanders while also putting the snake at risk, the most immediate solution in situations like this is trained intervention. As Briefly News reported, Warren used lightweight nylon-glass composite tongs so handlers can manage large, aggressive snakes from farther away.
Instead of killing the snake, Warren's work allowed it to be studied, documented, and released away from people.
As one commenter, Rene Stewart, noted, per Briefly News, "I shudder to think what would have happened if it had entered the building with all those onlookers."
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