"Michael is an absolute expert and if we want to know anything about snakes, we just call him up," confirms Knysna Fire Chief Dries Pretorius. Caithness does not only train members of the Fire Brigade, but also offers snake awareness courses to SANParks, Working for Water and even private garden service companies or anyone whose job requires work in the veld.
"We want people, when they encounter snakes, to know which ones are harmful and which ones are not. Also what to do in case someone has been bitten - we teach snake First Aid. It is important that people have the right information and training to know what to do in specific circumstances," explains Michael.
Says wife Emily, "Mike has been collecting snakes as a hobby since he was a small child. We had recently moved to Lawnwood and thought it would be the perfect venue to run it. It took us a while before we got some exhibits built and public toilets installed and we were elated when we got to open to the public in 2003, being able to share our love and commitment to the survival of these beautiful animals with others."
Lawnwood Snake Sanctuary offers personalised guided tours that are more than a look-through-the-glass experience. Participants get the opportunity to be up close and personal with a few species which can be handled safely.
"On our tours participants get to learn about snakes in general, how to identify the local species and perhaps allow one to feel or hold a few of our friendly exotics. It's not every day you get to see a 5m-python or a Nile croc up close!" grins Michael.
Over the years they have expanded their collection and improved and built more exhibits. Currently the sanctuary has more than 100 snakes to see as well as other reptiles, tortoises, crocodiles and monitors.
"Snakes are more afraid of people, than the other way around, and if you see a snake in the wild it's best to leave it alone and it will do the same to you. If it's too close for comfort, there is Snake Rescue, which is a network of people that do it as a service to the community. The Knysna Fire Brigade has been doing it in their immediate area for about ten years now and has learnt how to identify and catch them responsibly, to be released back into the wild," explains Michael.
"Knysna Fire Brigade has always showed interest in the snakes which I had caught over time and consequently I showed them that with the right tools and know-how, they could do the same. We donated to them a pair of our snake tongs as they have been the only ones in the Knysna community willing to help with snake removal," he says appreciatively.
One of the firemen who has been called out a couple of times on snake rescues, is Waden Botha.
"We have attended to calls from Hornlee, Hunters Home and Westford Bridge - mostly for Boomslang, Puff Adders, Night Adders, molslang, 'Rooilippies' and once a Cape Cobra in Sedgefield," he grins, pretending to have a slight shudder run down his spine.
"Michael extended an open invitation to us at the Fire Brigade a couple of years ago and he taught us to always remain humble - just because he has been trained and got it right a couple of times, you shouldn't lose respect or show off in front of other people. He told us to treat all snakes as if they were in fact venomous when we are called out to catch a snake and remove it to be relocated," says Botha.
Once there has been a veld fire, warns Botha, it is almost a given that there will be snakes on the move as they flee the heat of the fire. "This happens quite often in the Rheenendal area and when a snake like a Puff Adder has been slightly injured in a fire, they become very aggressive and dangerous," he warns.
When called out for snakes in close proximity to a home, Botha has learnt from experience that the snakes often like to keep close to a water tank or pools. Some species also like the warmth of a ceiling or to crawl underneath the floor of the house and may live there undetected for years, in fact safeguarding the house against rodents. The Fire Brigade now takes all its snakes to Lawnwood Snake Sanctuary.
Three most common venomous snakes - Puff Adder
According to Michael there are only three common venomous snakes in the Garden Route.
"First is the infamous Puff Adder, which sometimes lies still rather than move off, hence it accounts for the most accidental bites in South Africa," explains Emily. The poison of a Puff Adder is virulently cytotoxic (cell-destroying) but slow-acting. The bite is followed by immediate and severe pain, accompanied by alarmingly rapid swelling and bruising at the bite site. Life-endangering effects such as pronounced shock do not normally appear until 12 to 24 hours after the bite. Extensive cell damage can result in gangrene and may require amputation of the affected limb if medical attention is not received soon enough.
Night Adder
Next is the Night Adder, which is common in gardens as it loves to eat frogs. The venom is mildly cell-destroying and most bites result in only minimal swelling with painful enlargement of the glands in the affected limb. These symptoms disappear after a few days. A bite from a Night Adder is not a serious emergency unless positive identification of the snake has not been achieved.
Boomslang
"And then we have our very shy Boomslang," chuckles Michael. "There is more chance of getting struck by lightening than ever getting bitten by him! Any of these snakes' venom is going to take time to seriously affect the person bitten, which gives you enough time to seek medical attention."
A Boomslang will only strike if molested. Its venom is hemotoxic and even small amounts cause severe hemorrhaging, making it dangerous to man. The Boomslang's favourite diet is the Knysna Dwarf Chameleon.
Harmless snakes
The harmless snakes common to the Garden Route area, would be house snakes, Red-Lipped Heralds, the Eastern Green Snake, mole snakes and slug eaters.
Regarding the keep of snakes as pets, the Caithnesses warn that the Western Cape requires permits for both indigenous and exotic reptiles. "Cape Nature Conservation inspects your facilities, and cages need to be a certain size and be lockable. You also need permission from your neighbours if you live in a built-up area," says Emily.
If someone encounters a harmless species of snake, the Caithnesses believe people should realise that it is in the best interest of nature to rather just leave them be and not to remove them from their territory.
Michael is adamant: "Snakes have an important role to play in our sensitive ecosystem and like any living creature on our planet it's ultimately in our own best interest to allow them to do that. By constantly killing or removing them, we will eventually pay the price for our ignorance."
For more information contact Lawnwood Snake Sanctuary on 044 534 8056.
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Commonly known as a ‘Rooilippie’ or Red-Lipped Herald, this snakes is not dangerous at all and its venom has only minor effects. It can grow from 70cm to 1m long and eats frogs, lizards and other snakes (only in captivity.) Its natural enemies are other snakes as well as widow and button spiders. A Red-Lipped Herald can live up to 15 years.
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Erik Mpemvana of Knysna Fire Brigade demonstrates how to use the tongs donated by Michael Caithness of Lawnwood Snake Sanctuary.
ARTICLE: ANOESCHKA VON MECK, KNYSNA-PLETT HERALD JOURNALIST
