Late night escapades

Wednesday is dustbin day in our area, and it's my son's job to take our bin down to the pick-up area on Tuesday night. Inevitably he leaves this as late as possible unless prodded. This week we managed to get him off on his duty by 10... only to have him come running back with tales of a small snake he'd seen on the road, that hissed at him when he tried to get close!

Now Favourite Man knows snakes and has handled a good few large and dangerous types in his days, so off we all trouped to go see what it was.

And found this.

Definitely a snake, and apparently a juvenile Cape Cobra! Well Favourite Man had an appropriate stick and it was quickly decided this little character needed to be relocated to a safer place. Neighbours were marching up and down with bins, and most were not quite as fond of legless slitheries as the three of us are! So he coaxed snake onto stick while I ran for a bottle to house it temporarily. During the coaxing process little snakey spat out a decent amount of venom - as small as he is, he's still a Cape Cobra, and fiesty!

Back with the bottle, we finally got snake safely on the other side of glass and wacked on the lid.

He's truly a beautiful creature!

But what to do with him? Over the wall of the complex? Too close to roads, random passers-by and a train line. We marched down instead to a neighbour who works at the nature reserve, hoping to get her to release him on the morrow - but she was already tucked up in bed and fast asleep.

Only one thing for it. We hopped in the Landy and drove up the hill to a wild place, near a dam, with long grass and natural vegetation - a good place for little snakes to find food and water and learn their place in the world. Carefully let him out and within seconds he was gone to his new environment.

I hope he grows up to be a nice big snake. Much better than being smacked over the head by a clueless human in a cement-and-brick housing development.

Of course, little snakes come in batches - we're keeping an eye out in case his brothers and sisters make an appearance.