My first Black Mamba Catch 1984 - Durban South Africa. Clive Reid (then age 17) and Fritz Muller (then owner of Snake Park)
My first job when I left school was at the world famous Fitzsimons Snake Park on the Durban Beachfront in South Africa.
We went on many call outs to remove snakes.
My first Black Mamba was from a home in a suburb called Reservoir Hills, which is up the Umgeni River valley. I was 17 years old, had gone there on my motorbike and found it under this persons fridge. It was a catch that I will never forget. By the time I got back to the Snake Park the Press were there to take photos and get the story. Community members had phoned them .
This is Africa's most dangerous snake, and this was brought home to me again this week with the sad death of another snake handler here in Johannesburg. Last Wednesday, a very experienced snake handler, 26 year old Ryan Soobrayan, was bitten by a Black Mamba and died a few hours later. May he rest in peace.
