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My blood runs cold because it’s a stinking hot day and on the Garden Route and that means that snakes slither out all over the show, they lurk on pathways, they glide out of the bush.
On March 12, it was over 35°C on the Garden Route and there was a post on Facebook saying, “Mosselbaiers [warning sign] met vandag se hitte sal daar BAIE slang aktiwiteit wees [picture of snake] skakel ons onmiddelike vir enige problem 076-781-0528.”
In a nutshell this translation means it’s hot, expect a LOT of snake activity. Ugh!
I am one of those people who suffer from genuine ophidiophobia, which is an extreme, overwhelming fear of snakes so severe it causes an anxiety disorder.
I have tried over the years to be rational, to listen to all the arguments that snakes vanish when they hear us coming, that they only bite when we get in their way, that they are an integral part of a healthy food chain and blah blah and blah.
When I came to live here, it was a real surprise to find out that there is a generous helping of venomous snakes just thriving here, mainly puffadder and boomslang, but also cobras.
Once I discovered this, it put paid to hiking and other activities in the heat of summer.
That same hot day last week my neighbours went hiking on one of our most favourite trails I would not even dream of doing in summer.
Lo and behold, at the bottom of Drupkelders are the most amazing rock pools, and Thessa told me that while she was in the water a snake decided to join her swimming up close.
Last year, friends walked to Drupkelders and true as Bob, one of the couples took out their rather splendid picnic and a snake dropped out of a tree near their cheese platter.
A couple of years ago on the Robberg hike, we met a couple of puffadders sunning their lethal bodies on the main pathway — and, no, they did not move away.
Another time on this same route, I almost put my hand on a snake right down at the rocks near the sea where you wouldn’t expect to see snakes.
We have had a boomslang in our bay tree right next to me when I was hanging washing, a huge serpent cruised through the shrubs in front of our verandah one summer.
Last week, I opened the electric gate to our property and a very long bright green job cruised across the driveway.
I have been told by herpetophiles a thousand times, that snakes slither away from people, very rarely bite, and that the only real problem are puffadders which are sluggish and may not move, but I can’t buy into this theory as much as I want to.
In my time on the Garden Route, I have met three people here who have actually been bitten.
Some years ago, photographer Ian Fleming innocently stepped out of his swimming pool in Knysna Heights (a well populated suburb) and stood on a damned puffie lying there on the warm tiles.
He survived, but not without much pain and suffering.
An ex-colleague of mine went on a male team-bonding weekend thing somewhere on the Garden Route and fortunately imbibed so much, that the pain was dulled when he got bitten by a puffadder.
And fellow journalist Jackie, who lives in George, told me how when she was tucking her rabbits into their hutch one night, she was bitten and landed up in ICU.
Slangboere is based in the Mossel Bay area.
Devon de Villiers says he has been catching snakes in the area for 10 years and he started Slangboere three years ago.
This year since November 2025, Slangboere has responded to more than 400 snakes just in the Mossel Bay area.
“Of these, 267 resulted in successful removals. Often, we arrive on the scene, and the snake has moved and we can’t find it,” De Villiers said.
He stresses that if you have called for help, then watch the snake from a 2m distance so that when the snake catchers arrive, they can find it.
Snakes enter houses for food, shelter or water, he says.
Follow Slangboere on Facebook and for help phone 076-781-0528.
The Knysna Fire Department is available 24 hours a day and responds to snake callouts within the Knysna and Sedgefield areas.
According to the Knysna municipality, the fire department people remove puffadders, night adders, boomslang, red-lipped herald and green snakes from the Greater Knysna area and Sedgefield.
In November, they tended to 24 callouts in Knysna and 46 in Sedgefield, in December 48 snakes in Knysna and 34 in Sedgefield, in January 106 snakes in Knysna and 31 in Sedgefield, then 67 in Knysna and 25 in Sedgefield in February.
March will surely render some high numbers because of the very hot weather we have been having.
Some comforting news this year is that the National Health Laboratory Service (NHLS) is back on track with supplying snake antivenom.
NHLS spokesperson Mzi Gcukumana said there were shortages of antivenom in 2024 and 2025, but they had caught up with production.
“Shortages were primarily due to extensive renovations to modernise the antivenom production facility, thus increasing the efficiency of venom production in SA.
“Producers within the NHLS, the South Africa Vaccine Producers (SAVP), resumed production and were able to distribute antivenom to public and private health sectors and vets this summer [2025/2026],“ Gcukumana said.
The African Snakebite Institute says there are about 4,000 snake bites a year, resulting in 900 hospital stays, but only 3% of victims require treatment with antivenom.
Only if there are signs of envenomation (injection of venom into the body) will the venom be given. Dry bites are far more common.
SAVP produces a polyvalent antivenom, which is most commonly used for snake bites, a specific boomslang antivenom, but also one for scorpion and black button spider.
In practice, regional hospitals on the Garden Route normally keep antivenom because they deal with snakebite cases regularly and it’s very comforting to know this.
There are some standard rules when encountering a snake, experts say.
Stay calm, take a step back to increase distance between you and the snake to allow the snake to pass, maintain safe distance of 5m, give the snake room to move away.
If you, or someone with you, are bitten, keep the victim calm, do not move unnecessarily, get medical assistance or get the patient to the closest hospital where medical staff will determine if it was a dry bite or if anti-venom is needed.
DO NOT … apply a tourniquet, cut or suck the wound, use ice or very hot water, rub any substances into the wound, the experts say.
Just google snake catchers on the Garden Route and you will find them in your specific area.
There is also a 24-hour poison information helpline doctors can call for guidance: 0861-555-777.
I will miss these balmy summer days, but not the reptiles that come with it. Autumn is coming and so are the hikes I avoid in summer.
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