Gigantic wounded python rescued in Limpopo

The Johannesburg Wildlife Veterinary Hospital treated a wounded southern African python (Python natalensis) after it was rescued by snake handler Arthur Roden in Limpopo.

‘He had found the snake in a local water canal and saw that she had injuries. Classified as a Threatened or Protected Species (ToPS) under the National Environmental Management Biodiversity Act (10/2004), this snake, and its care was of the utmost importance,’ the Hospital writes on Facebook.

‘She weighed a whopping 45kg and measured 4.1m and we considered that she might have been an escaped illegally kept pet – this would explain her being obese. She arrived with lacerations that needed to heal, as well as severe mouth rot. She took quite a while to heal, and lost some weight in the process,’ the statement continues.

‘Once her mouth rot had cleared and she had had a normal shed, she was released into a safe, natural habitat in approximately the same area where she was found. Sincere thanks to snake handlers Grant and Trent Fairley who spent much time caring for this gorgeous python.’

Growing up to ± 5 m, the southern African python is the largest snake in southern Africa. These animals are found mainly in the Lowveld, KwaZulu-Natal’s south coast, Limpopo River valley and the Northern Cape. In the Eastern Cape they have been considered to be extinct since 1927, but some records suggest that it may still occur in some remote areas, according to SANBI.