BY RICHARD MUPONDE
A THREE-METRE-LONG cobra caused a stir in Nkulumane 12 suburb in Bulawayo after it slithered into houses near a bushy area on the outskirts of the residential area.
Zimbabwe Parks and Wildlife Authority (Zimparks) rangers came to the residents’ rescue after dispatching snake catcher, Ahmed Mohamed Esat, who took three hours to capture the venomous reptile, his fourth one in a week.
The snake was first noticed on Tuesday night when it slid into a house close to the Roman Catholic Church, which has a large vegetable patch.
However, it was driven away by dogs at the house.
On Wednesday morning, the snake found its way into another house, three houses from where it initially appeared.
It slipped into a heap of bricks and residents had to call the Zimparks after failing to lure the reptile out of its hiding place.
Esat told Southern Eye that this was the fourth snouted cobra he had captured in a week.
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“It’s about three to four years old. This is the fourth snouted cobra I have captured within a week,” Esat said.
He said he had been working with Zimparks for a couple of years. “I have captured a lot of snakes. You can follow my works there (on Facebook). I have also plans to work with the media to conscientise residents about my work and snakes so that they stay out of danger,” he said.
Snouted cobra is a large specie and adult sizes range from 1,2 to 1,8 metres, but they can reach a length of 2,5 metres.
