Snakes Keep Hazyview Residents on Alert

Hazyview residents have reported a spike in snake sightings from last Friday through Wednesday, with encounters ranging from a massive python in a chicken coop to juvenile black mambas and cobras in homes.

One local farmer shared how a three‑metre python had already eaten two of her chickens and was attacking a third when she discovered it. “We removed it and let it go on the other side of the farm,” she said. She warned fellow poultry owners to check their enclosures: “Secure the chicken hok better — even closed‑in chickens aren’t always safe.”

Others reported snakes inside houses. One resident spotted what looked like a black mamba, while another called for help after finding a cobra indoors. Snake experts say such activity is not unusual.

“Snakes are seeking shelter from the heat and actively hunting for food,” explained a local wildlife specialist. “In the Lowveld, they stop feeding during winter but will still come out to bask. Black mambas and puff adders also mate at the beginning of winter, causing a spike in movement. Come spring, they need to feed again after using up fat reserves over winter, so activity increases further.”

Houses attract snakes because they provide perfect conditions for their prey. Watered gardens and ponds draw frogs, rodents are fond of walls and rockeries, and lizards find hiding spots in human environments. Experts advise residents to remember that snakes do not see houses as foreign — to them, it’s just another part of their habitat.

Residents are urged to stay vigilant, secure poultry enclosures, and contact trained handlers when snakes appear indoors.