To some, snakes are cute. Many will even keep them as pets (the non-venomous kinds, of course). To others, they’re creepy critters that they wouldn’t even touch with a 10-foot pole. However you feel about snakes, you should absolutely never try to grab one in the wild if you think there’s even the slightest chance it might be venomous.
A professional snake catcher named Jason Arnold recently revealed how he once got stuck at a tollgate with a 7-foot black mamba in his car. The black mamba is one of the deadliest snake species in the world, and can kill a fully grown human in just 20 minutes with a single bite.
But According To Arnold, The Snake In His Car Wasn’t The Issue.
The South African native sat down with Newsweek to discuss the story, explaining that he constantly travels with venomous snakes in his car in his line of work. But the experience of being stuck at the tollgate was still incredibly stressful for him. As he explained , “The issue was the road I was on was one-way leading up to the tollgate and I realized I can’t just turn around and go the other way. I just felt really stressed and desperate and anxious.”
Arnold Makes A Living Capturing Snakes Before They Can Come Into Contact And Harm Humans.
He even has a YouTube channel where he showcases his profession , showing the gentle and humane way he captures and cares for the snakes before releasing them out into the wild.
During the drive when he was stopped at the tollgate, he was actually on his way to deal with someone who’d called him for help. But he had arrived at the gate with bank cards, and they were only accepting cash.
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Arnold wasn’t aware that they only accepted cash until the guard informed him. Another driver in line offered to cover Arnold’s fee, but the guard wouldn’t let him.
Arnold Searched For Cash In His Car, But Came Up Emptyhanded.
Apart from the black mamba that was still in there, of course.
Arnold ended up pulling out his phone to videotape the confrontation, and was able to speak to the guard’s manager about why he was in such a hurry.
“I said to the guys that I am running an emergency service and I’ve got a client waiting for me who has got a snake in their house,” he continued in his interview. They eventually let him pass through, but the entire ordeal took about 10 minutes of Arnold’s time. Time that could’ve been used to get the snake out of the client’s house.
Luckily, Arnold Arrived On The Scene And Got The Snake Out.
Despite the setback, Arnold still managed to locate the snake and safely get it out of the client’s house.
During the interview, Arnold also took the time to explain that venomous snakes don’t typically bite humans unless they’re fearing for their own safety. If you happen to live somewhere where you can encounter deadly snakes or other creatures, the best thing to do is call a professional to remove them as soon as possible.
h/t Newsweek
