RUSTENBURG HERALD - RUSTENBURG - The scare of his life! This was in store for 41-year-old Gregory Collen Tlabakwe -
a water meter reader of Rustenburg's Von Wielligh Property Management. Monday this week was a usual day at the office for Gregory as he went about his duties like every week.
Monday, 15 April however, turned out to be a day that Gregory probably won't forget for a very long time - a close encounter (of the first kind) with a gigantic African Rock Python. Gregory was reading water meters at Waterfall Village, Cashan 19 at approximately 09:00 and when walking from one unit to another the thought suddenly arose - "Am I imagining things or did I just see the tail of a snake slipping over that wall?" But Gregory wasn't in another world or Jurassic Park for that matter.
Seeing the tail end of what appeared to be an unusually long python slipping over the wall of the unit he was working in, Gregory rushed around into the adjacent unit only to find an almost three metres long African Rock Python which was obviously searching for a "python-friendly" spot where it could safely hibernate during the winter months which are practically upon us. Gregory immediately phoned his employer who in turn contacted Jacques Coetzee - a well-known snake expert and catcher in Rustenburg. Fortunately for Gregory, Jacques wasted little time and rushed to Waterfall Village where the python was captured unharmed with the help of one or two wide-eyed neighbours of the townhouse complex. Surprised at the size of "Monty" Jacques called for help from an assistant who soon arrived with a considerably bigger cage wherein the approximately four to seven year-old python could be transported to a uninhabited resort outside Rustenburg where the giant was released in the presence of an official of North West Nature Conservation. The African Rock Python is the only type of python that is commonly found in South Africa, according to Coetzee. "They can easily live for up to 30 years or even longer and tends to grow extremely long. I captured an African Rock Python of 4.7 meters in Cashan 33 only a few weeks ago. The biggest python I have ever captured was just short of 5 meters and was captured in the Moedwil area some ten years ago", he concluded. Incidentally, both our "Monday Monty" as well as the 4.7 metre long python captured in Cashan 33 recently, were females, Jacques told Rustenburg Herald. Rustenburg residents, especially those living in close proximity of bushy or open veld areas, are warned to be vigilant and be on the lookout for snakes which appear to be on the move in preparation for winter in recent months. Make sure that your dogs (especially small dogs such as Yorkies, Fox terriers or the like) are safe and that natural openings in fences or walls are covered during the winter months. If by chance you come across a snake on your property or home - please don't attempt to capture or kill it - rather call in the help of experts (who will be able to firstly, identify the snake in case of an unforeseen bite after which administering the correct anti venom could be crucial in saving the life of the individual) to capture the snake without injuring it. Rustenburg residents are invited to contact Jacques Coetzee on 066 584 5614. Follow this link for a video of the snake's capture - https://bit.ly/snakesontheloose
