What began as a routine snake call turned into an astonishing encounter when renowned snake rescuer Nick Evans discovered a massive Southern African Python, stretching over 3 metres, near the M19 in New Germany, KwaZulu-Natal last week.
Evans, who was contacted by the Ethekwini municipality after reports of a large snake sighting near the Otto Volek Road off-ramp, initially assumed he was dealing with a Black Mamba — a common but dangerous urban intruder. What he found instead left him stunned: a huge python basking in the undergrowth, a species not seen in that area for decades.
“It completely caught me off guard,” said Evans. “I thought, ‘No way this is real.’ Pythons just don’t occur here anymore.”
As he moved in, the powerful reptile bolted into dense bush, leading to a tense and physical rescue operation. With help from fellow snake handler Joseph, Evans managed to secure the non-venomous but incredibly strong snake after a brief struggle.
Believed to be wild and not an escaped pet, the python’s presence in suburban New Germany has raised questions about how it ended up so far from its typical range. Evans confirmed that the animal was later safely relocated to a secure, undisclosed site, in line with conservation protocols.
Protected by law, Southern African Pythons are illegal to keep as pets, and their reappearance in urban areas is both a mystery and a rare ecological moment. Whether this signals a shift in their habitat or a freak occurrence, one thing’s for sure: wildlife in KZN still has the power to surprise.
