Venomous Snakes in Cape Town: 4 Tips To Avoid Getting Bitten

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  • The Cape cobra, puff adder and boomslang are some of the most lethal snakes that are found in the Western Cape
  • Residents in Cape Town are likely to encounter the snakes and to be bitten by them may be deadly
  • Snake experts Gerrie Heyns and Willem Van Zyl gave Briefly News tips on how to avoid getting bitten and what to do if one does get bitten

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Three of the most dangerous and venomous snakes in the world are found in South Africa and Cape Town. According to the African Snakebite Insitute, the Cape cobra, puff adder and boomslang are listed as some of the most lethal snakes in Southern Africa.

What must you do if you happen to be a Capetonian and are unfortunate enough to bump into any of these snakes?

Briefly News spoke to seasoned snake rescuers Willem Van Zyl and Gerrie Heyns, who are listed with the African Snakebite Insitute as snake rescuers. They shared some tips on how to avoid getting bitten by these three species.

1. Don’t approach the snake and keep a safe distance

The ASI revealed that most of the snakebite-related deaths were caused by Cape cobra snakebites. Heyns added that the snakebites were the result of people’s carelessness.

If you see any of these snakes, stand a few metres back and watch where it goes. If it is in the house, keep it inside to be removed by a professional.

Willem advised that five metres away is the safest bet.

2. Call a snake catcher and keep an eye on it

Another reason Gerrie believes leads to snakebites is when people try and catch snakes themselves. That’s a terrible idea, Heyns said.

He also advised against running away, because that would make it difficult for the snake catcher to find the snake and do his job.

3. Don’t try kill the snake

It’s also a bad idea to try and kill a snake. Snakes like puff adders will lie still and wait to be touched before they strike.

If you’re not a snake-catcher, avoid coming into contact with a snake.

4. Rush to the nearest hospital when bitten

Heyns strongly suggests you rush straight to the nearest hospital if you get bitten.

Snake venom differs in how long it takes to take effect, but to be safe, one must rush straight to the nearest hospital. There's no time to waste as the snakebite may be fatal

First aid measures to take if you're bitten by a snake

The African Snake Bite Institute posted measures people must take in the event a snake bites them:

  • Get the victim to a hospital as soon as possible and in a safe manner.
  • Keep the victim calm and as still as possible.
  • Remove rings and tight clothing.
  • If you are more than an hour from the closest medical facility, apply pressure bandages. Don't waste time applying pressure or bandages if you are close to a hospital and if possible, apply the pressure bandage while travelling.

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