2017
1 December
Community newspaper
R1-20/FREE
The BEAT
Granny kills mamba Justin Steyn
Farmlands granny Katrina Motshabane (58) was going about her chores in her employer’s farmhouse when she heard a flock of birds tweeting hysterically. The Sussenvale domestic worker knotted her eyebrow and within seconds she knew what the commotion could be about.
Just about three weeks ago she killed a Mozambican spitting cobra.
She grabbed a pellet gun and within seconds she was surveying the mango tree on which the birds were noisily fluttering around the branches a coiled black mamba, it was. Motshabane, who has worked for 20 years on the farm between Modimolle and Bela-Bela, took aim with the pellet gun, discharging bursts of pellets at the huge snake, until the highly venomous reptile took one or two pellets to the head. The black mamba wriggled for a while before falling down with a thud, dead. Asked how a 58-year-old granny would be so confident of her mastery of a pellet gun, Motshabane’s
Pellet gun-toting granny takes on cobra too Illustration: Lesley Barnard
employer Elsie Silvestri, said it was not for the first time the domestic helper had an encounter with dangerous snakes. “Just about three weeks ago she killed a Mozambican spitting cobra with the same pellet gun,” Silvestri explained. Snake catcher Cor Snake handler, Cor Viljoen warns people to seek Viljoen of BelaBela, said the black expert assistance when faced with venomous snakes. Photo supplied mamba measured about three metres. five metres should be kept when He said despite its supposed reputation encountering a potentially venomous of being aggressive, the black mamba snake such as a mamba or spitting would only attack when provoked. cobra. “The mamba could have been hiding in “Many people are unfamiliar with the tree for various reasons, such as what to do when encountering a seeking shade from the heat or avoiding snake. Remember snakes will attack humans,” he said. when provoked and some will spit at Viljoen said when encountering a snake, you, potentially causing blindness. It it is best to rather seek the help of an is best to move away from any snake expert, than to take matters into your own that you are unsure of and seek help hands. from a professional to avoid injury,” He advised that a distance of at least he said.