One morning recently I was in reception when one of the housekeepers informed us that there was a snake in one of the rooms, grabbing a snake catching stick, clear goggles (in case it was a spitting cobra) and stout gloves, I hurried to the room. Upon my arrival I found that a rock python had occupied the room. These snakes can reach 5 meters in length, this was only just over a meter long. It was quickly captured and returned to the wild, luckily finding a snake in the rooms is very rare. Python numbers are decreasing rapidly and they are protected by law. Big pythons have been known to make a meal of small antelope but rarely harm humans.

Sebastiaan Janse van Vuuren

Senior Ranger

Kapama Main Lodge