Bulawayo Morning Mirror Edition 1125 - 6/10/2025

A DAY IN THE LIFE OF A BULAWAYO SNAKE HANDLER

I quote 'It's very common to have a problem with coldish blooded creatures in our regal, picture-perfect-blue-skied-Jacaranda lined-history filled city of magnificent Kings and Majestic Queens- BULAWAYO
- where the only thing bigger than the snakes and potholes are our hearts!!!!
Amen.'

In order for you to understand and appreciate Ahmed Esat's level of discretion when it comes to people, communities and snakes we have to start from the beginning so.......this story involves people and snakes (but no apples are involved this time!)

In many cultures people's association with snakes is taboo, especially in the high density suburbs.
The fact that a snake is on your premises and you have now engaged a "Snake Catcher" AKA (Affectionately Known As ) "Mthakathi" to remove what the neighbours know, without a shadow of a doubt is your snake, is key to the survival and spreading of hot gossip for at least a week.

Grant the Handyman called me late on Sunday afternoon explaining that he possibly has 2 very antagonistic creatures wondering around the garden.The first one was a long brown snake that climbed into a tree, most likely culprit would be a Boomslang or Dispholidus typus. The second seemed to be a beautiful older specimen that clearly dominated the garden and when flustered would splutter and spit and would be given a wide berth.

I arrived in the beautiful garden and was led to the tree and within minutes I located and safely removed a large brown female Boomslang
she was armed and definitely dangerous packing 1 to 3 large grooved fangs posteriorly, found just below her large eye.
Her Haemotoxic venom is slow acting but highly potent which causes internal haemorrhaging. A powerful agile tree dwelling inoffensive species, safely removed for relocation.

The next call out involved a call from Graham Jones where a 3,4 metre long male Southern African Python - Python Natalensis had constricted, killed and swallowed a 13kg goat!

Ahmed and his appy 'Reece Lightning' drove down a dirt road for 50km into Bulawayo's backyard paradise Matopos, to rescue and relocate a python that "bitten off a bit more than he could chew'.

He had found his way into the teenage goats kraal with his sleek summer bod, (the python not Ahmed), and managed to immobilise and swallow a young goat.

'Two issues here - first I had to check and no his eyes were definitely not bigger than his stomach! The second issue was that said goat was way too big to get out! What a snake does when his belly is full and you upset it, it regurgitates it's meal and that is most certainly what this guy did (it was quite a lengthy process considering the python was 3.4 metres long ) but this necessary contortions makes him slim and agile ready to escape.

Lightning and Ahmed had to continuously realign the contorted body so the horns, heads and hooves didn't pierce through the over stretched scales.
No animals were hurt or offended during the relocation. (except the goat of course)
The python will stay a few more days at Ndoro Reptile Education Centre until he is safely released back into a goat free Jones area. Unfortunately Ahmed 'couldn't keep up with Jones' all he knows is that he was prepping a braai when Reece and Ahmed were leaving!!

Ahmed has some incredible photos of the
snake and the goat !
Ahmed Esat - 077 571 4014