Bitten by deadly mamba, Durban man told snake was harmless - IOL

There are times when you should never turn to social media sites for advice, one of those times is when you are trying to identify a snake. In those instances, it is wiser to seek expert advice from snake catchers. 

A frantic search was launched in Durban’s Bluff area after a man bitten by a snake was mistakenly told on Facebook that the reptile was harmless.

Snake expert Jason Arnold, known as the “Snake Man”, spotted the social media post and immediately recognised the snake as a highly venomous Green Mamba.

The man had reportedly encountered and killed the snake before a member of the public posted photographs on Facebook, asking for help identifying it.

However, several people incorrectly identified it as a harmless Spotted Bush Snake.

Arnold said he intervened as soon as he saw the responses and warned that the bitten man needed urgent medical attention.

“I immediately commented and informed the man that I am a snake expert and that the snake posted by him is actually a highly venomous Green Mamba and that the bitten person has to get to hospital immediately!”

When Arnold received no response, he attempted to contact the original poster privately before asking other members of the Facebook group for help.

Two women who had also recognised the seriousness of the situation joined the effort and eventually managed to find a telephone number for the man who had posted the identification request.

Arnold then contacted him and learned that the bitten man was known in the area and was often seen nearby.

The situation became even more urgent when Arnold was told the man had already been reassured that the snake was harmless and had walked away believing he would be fine.

A man bitten by a Green Mamba was initially told the snake was harmless after incorrect identifications on Facebook, prompting a frantic search to find him.

After the snake was correctly identified, the man who had posted the photograph drove around the Brighton Beach area searching for the victim but initially could not find him.

Arnold later updated the community with news that the man had been found at an Engen garage on Tara Road.

A community responder, Warwick, and CPF member Uveshan were reportedly alerted to his whereabouts, with the information then circulated to the RTL8 Duty group.

Rhea from RTL8 and Max from All-Secure went to the garage, where they found and assessed the man.

They established that he had been bitten on his forearm.

Arnold said there were two raised areas on the man’s arm and that he had also reported feeling unwell and vomiting earlier.

Although he appeared well at the time, the symptoms raised concerns about possible envenomation.

“There were two notably raised patches/lumps on his forearm and he told the members that he had felt ill a bit earlier and had also vomited.”

Arnold was then brought into a conference call with members of the response team and strongly advised that the man seek medical attention and remain under observation.

The man reportedly agreed to go to nearby Wentworth Hospital and remain there overnight in case his condition deteriorated.

Arnold said the incident highlighted the potentially serious consequences of relying on unverified information when identifying snakes.

“Please don't offer advice or identifications of snakes unless you are vastly knowledgeable and 100% certain!”

He urged members of the public to identify reputable snake handlers in their areas and keep their contact details available in case of an emergency.

Arnold also warned against relying on general neighbourhood watch, security or Facebook groups for snake identification, saying incorrect advice could have serious consequences for people, pets and snakes.

“Maybe become a member of a snake identification WhatsApp group or Facebook group and ask for help there. But only accept identifications that are made by the admins of such groups, as even on these groups we constantly have to address and delete members that choose to suggest identifications of snakes which are most often totally incorrect.”

The incident serves as a warning that incorrectly identifying a venomous snake can have potentially serious consequences, particularly when someone has already been bitten.