Not many people can say they have seen black mambas battle it out on the road right in front of them – have you ever been so fortunate? These entangled males were seen by Jan Schurings on the S131 near Phalaborwa, in the Kruger National Park.
Black mambas are one of the most dangerous snakes in Southern Africa due to the fact that they can be fatal to humans with their neurotoxic venom. Neurotoxic venom acts quickly and attacks the nervous system of its prey leading to paralysis.
One of our tingers witnessed two black mambas battle it out on the road right in front of them!
When in combat for dominance amongst their own kind, black mamba males will raise their heads and up to a third of their bodies, in an attempt to push their rival down and will continue in this physical battle until one submits. La Lechere guest house owner Jan, tells LatestSightings.com about this incredible moment:
“We made our way to Ngwenyeni waterhole on the S131, not expecting to see much. All of a sudden we saw something in the middle of the road, about 50 meters away. We immediately recognized that it was a black mamba. However, upon closer inspection, we saw that it was in fact 2 entangled black mambas.”
“In general, snakes disappear as soon as they sense people or other activity – however, they were too busy to care. We observed this interesting behaviour for at least 2 minutes, totally undisturbed. As the snakes were entangled, they moved rather slowly towards the side of the road.”
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“As they moved to the side of the road it gave us the opportunity to move a bit closer, still maintaining a safe distance – knowing the temper of a black mamba that feels threatened. The snakes eventually moved into the bushes. This was a once-in-a-lifetime sighting for me. I see mambas on a regular basis in the bush, but they are always gone in the blink of an eye.”
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