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This article has been updated since it has been published.
GEORGE NEWS - It's snake season in the Garden Route, and we met with Justin Godwin of Garden Route Snakes & Removals to find out how we can keep ourselves and our pets safe.
Godwin is a local snake expert with over 30 years' experience in dealing with snakes.
Snake season in the Garden Route generally spans from September/October to April, aligning with the warmer months when snakes emerge from hibernation. During this period, they are more active while foraging and mating, leading to increased sightings.
Photo gallery: Beware snake season
Here's what Godwin had to say about staying safe this season:
George Herald (GH): What is the most important thing to remember when confronted by a venomous snake?
Justin Godwin (JG): Leave it alone. Freeze, stand still or take a few steps back. Most snakes, when given the opportunity, will flee. If you are close enough to catch or kill a snake, you are close enough to get bitten.
GH: What is the correct procedure for safely removing a snake from a property?
JG: Contact a professional. Keep your eyes on the snake, but maintain a distance of three or more metres. Keep pets and people away. If the snake tries to escape, let it move off and note where it goes, but do not attempt to stop it.
GH: What is the correct first-aid procedure if someone is bitten by a snake, and what symptoms should they look out for?
JG: Do not waste time trying to kill, catch or identify the snake - this increases the risk of another bite and wastes valuable time. Keep the injured person calm and raise the affected limb above heart level. Get them into a car and drive straight to the nearest hospital. Phone ahead to alert the emergency staff.
(You can also contact Godwin, who will co-ordinate with the hospital, connect them to one of South Africa's three snakebite specialists, and help source anti-venom if necessary.)
Do not:
- Tie, cut, wrap or suck the wound.
- Give the patient any medication, alcohol or fluids - not even water.
Symptoms:
Of the seven medically significant snakes in Garden Route, only one - the Cape cobra - has fast-acting venom. Most snakebites are slow-acting, but they are still medical emergencies. If the patient experiences difficulty breathing, start CPR while en route and contact paramedics to meet you halfway if possible.
Justin Godwin secures a cobra using his specialised tools.
All snakebites, as confirmed by the African Snakebite Institute, are treated symptomatically. Anti-venom is only used as a last resort due to potential allergic reactions and side effects, such as serum sickness and other complications.
GH: What steps can be taken to snake-proof my property and make it less attractive to snakes?
JG: There are no scientifically proven snake repellents - not even commercially available pellets.
Snakes move through areas naturally, but you can reduce the chance of encounters by:
- keeping the grass short
- removing rubble, rocks or woodpiles
- avoiding water features and fish ponds
- cutting branches away from open windows.
Rodents, birds and lizards attract snakes, so keeping your property clean and pest-free is key. While property development and habitat loss force snakes out of their natural environments, it's worth noting that snakes are common, but bites on humans are rare.
The most common venomous snakes in the Garden Route are:
- Boomslang (haemotoxic venom)
- Puff adder (cytotoxic venom)
- Cape cobra (neurotoxic venom).
GH: Where should snakes be released?
JG: Snakes should be released within a 20km radius of where they were caught, but away from human activity. Research has shown that the further away a snake is released, the lower its chance of survival.
Justin Godwin is available 24/7 for information and assistance with any local snake species. Contact him on 076 974 4415 or follow him on Facebook: GardenRouteSnakes.
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