For a bunch of first timers to the Kgalagadi Transfrontier Park, a snake crossing the road is a noteworthy event. But what happened after the snake crossed the road? Clue: a remarkable sighting…
Wild Card traveller Andre Barnes and friends were exploring the Kgalagadi Transfrontier Park early one morning when they spotted a snake on the move. “We were staying at the Kalahari Tented Camp and on the way to the first water hole, came upon a snake making its way across the road. We naturally stopped the vehicle and took some pictures,” says Andre.
As the snake, a Cape cobra, reached the other side of the road, it suddenly lifted its head to scan the surrounds. Judging by the spread of its hood, the snake had reason to be concerned…
Pictures by Andre Barnes
From the bushes, an African wild cat appeared. “This was the first time we had ever seen a wild cat! It quickly spotted the snake and relentlessly tried to get behind the cobra…”
But the snake was having none of it. “Before long, the cobra’s patience grew thin and it sent a clear message to the cat to hit the road. The cat retreated and got distracted by a ground squirrel. With the cat chasing after the squirrel, the cobra pulled a Houdini and slithered away to greener pastures.”
Did you know? Cape cobras vary in colour and can be dark brown or even black. This one was golden yellow, which made for striking pictures.
When the cat returned for round two, there was no snake in sight, “leaving the cat very confused”. But did curiosity kill the cat? “Both cat and snake left unscathed, almost treating each other with some sort of mutual respect. We cannot wait to return to the Kgalagadi.”
An expert’s thoughts
Marna Herbst, scientist at SANParks Scientific Services, conducted extensive research on the Kalahari’s African wild cats as part of her PhD. She reckons an attack from either side is unlikely. “I have seen cats catching small grass snakes and eating them; in this case however, I do not think the cat was interested in the Cape cobra as a prey species. Cats are very curious and I think the cat went closer to inspect.
“The snake sensed an approaching predator, lifted its head, probably hissed, and the cat retreated. I don’t think the cat would have attacked the snake at all – especially not a Cape cobra of that size.”
You saw what?
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Many years ago I was visiting Ai-Ais in namibia. Came across a large jet black cobra which raised itself off the ground and spread its hood when I stopped the car within a few meters of the snake. It slowly slithered backwards towards a rocky area all the time with its hood spread out. It used the tip of its tail to guide it to safety. Never once did it take its eye off the car.
I came across a speckled cobra whilst out on a bush walk here in the Eastern Cape. A really beautiful specimen. It became very agitated and it too raised itself off the ground. I was within about two meters of the snake which then advanced very rapidly in my direction. As I had a walking stick in my hand I simply gently pushed it away but the advanced continued. Suddenly the snakes attitude changed. It just wanted to get away from the threat. left to climb into a tree and make itself as small as possible.
My greatest snake story came to me from a elderly Namibian chap who did engineering contracting work for my employer. He traveled to many way out of the ordinary places. One such place was to Ruacana which he said was a place one had to always be on the lookout for snakes. Ruacana is a really wild part of namibia particularly during the border war. He stopped at a local Spaza shop to pick up supplies where the owner showed him the dried out skin of a huge black mamba. He measured out the length and it was either 6 or 7m in length! I only told friends who knew Namibia well about this amazing sightingr. I believed the man was being truthful. There is an interesting end to my story. A few years later I was on the road leading north from Namatomi in the Etosha park. I spotted what I thought was a large python lying on the edge of the gravel road. The ground in the park is typically whitish. I slowed down for a closer look and called my father on our mobile radio to get to the site. We were approximately 10m from the snake when I realised it was “black” with a lighter under body and definitely not a python. In an instance it lifted its upper body off the ground and moved extremely rapidly into the bush lining the road. I estimated the snake to be between 5-6m and possibly 7m in length. To this day I believe it was a black mamba. I have not told many people about this occurrence as I thought my story would be scoffed at until one day I met somebody who had worked in that area and agreed that in those northern reaches of Namibia one did indeed come across very large black mambas. I have visited Namibia approximately 130 times during the period 1978 the late 1990’s. What a country and I saw much of the outback. In those days the tourist industry was nothing like it is today.
Thanks for wonderful snake stories! If only more people were snake-friendly, as you are, rather than phobic. I have had breathtaking cobra and boomslang slightings on Table Mountain, and I consider myself lucky to see them. A huge black mamba once reared up against my car in Kruger — seemed to be threatened; the aggression was something to see!
I to have had some wonderful sightings of both Boomslang and Cape Cobra in the Silvermine area of Table Mountain National Park. I was once told by a Park Ranger that they refer to the 3 B’s as the most feared and respected wild creatures..Black Mamba-Black Rhino and Buffalo.