Snake protection on safari in South Africa

[pilot00]

I regularly hunting in Texas and run across poisonous snake so often I wear Snake boats or Snake chaps. I will go to Limpopo SA for a plains game hunt in May. Do I need snake protection? Boots ect? Do you run across a lot of snakes on safari?

 

[SFRanger7GP]

I don't think they are needed. I have seen snakes on all of my 4 safaris but there was never a danger. With tracker(s), PH and the hunter (and possibly more people) moving through the area, the snakes have ample warning to get out of the way.

 

[Red Leg]

Courteney boots and shorts - long trousers if I must. I wear snake boots hunting quail and Nilgai around Kingsville. The odds of encountering a hostile serpent in the South African fall or winter are infinitely less than meeting a rattler in South Texas.

 

[Zambezi]

 

[BourbonTrail]

View attachment 492208

So that’s what you wear to get mambas out of the shed…

 

[Tokoloshe Safaris]

Funny

 

[saswart]

No need to specifically protect yourself with specific boots. Regular hunting shoes/boots and long trouser should be fine as far as "protection" goes. Watch were you place your feet, at night not bare foot.

I live in SA, visit Limpopo regularly as we have family on farms there, and even in our summer months (American winters) we do not where protective or long clothing / boots etc. We are just careful where we walk and keep an eye out.

 

[Zambezi]

The outdoor do's and don'ts apply worldwide. Watch where you walk, keep your eyes open and check your bed and shoes etc.

You'll be highly lucky / unlucky to encounter a snake on safari much less be within striking distance. There are lots of things that eat snakes in Africa so they are weary of movement etc and will generally move off before you arrive. The puff adder is the main exception. But he'll often give you a warning by puffing and exhaling quite loudly. Hear that once you'll never forget it.

So in short awareness of your surroundings is really all the protection you need.

 

[Berettaco]

I’m by no means a snake expert - don’t mambas and cobras generally strike about waist to chest level? Maybe have to wear snake waders or that full body armor suit….

i was in Limpopo in September - saw zero snakes. Went back in April and we saw a couple python, 1 mamba and 1 undetermined snake - I wasn’t going to follow it to figure out. My PH was walking I front of me - he jumped about 6 foot to the left and the snake went to the right. I froze and looked at the snake slither away (just saw a little movement).
I now appreciate having trackers and PH walking in front of me - less likely to see any snakes

 

[Zambezi]

I’m by no means a snake expert - don’t mambas and cobras generally strike about waist to chest level? Maybe have to wear snake waders or that full body armor suit….

i was in Limpopo in September - saw zero snakes. Went back in April and we saw a couple python, 1 mamba and 1 undetermined snake - I wasn’t going to follow it to figure out. My PH was walking I front of me - he jumped about 6 foot to the left and the snake went to the right. I froze and looked at the snake slither away (just saw a little movement).
I now appreciate having trackers and PH walking in front of me - less likely to see any snakes

Cobra will strike knee and below and a mamba up to about waist/hip height only if he is in raised aggressive posture. It is usually around knee / thigh height or lower.

Mamba can only raise about one third of its body off the ground so a large mamba is around 10-12ft. That means a bite at around 3-4ft high and lower.

The stories of mambas looking a grown man in the eye are just stories although it might seem like that when it happens to you.

 

[AB2506]

I regularly hunting in Texas and run across poisonous snake so often I wear Snake boats or Snake chaps. I will go to Limpopo SA for a plains game hunt in May. Do I need snake protection? Boots ect? Do you run across a lot of snakes on safari?

May is fall in South Africa. On my two trips to the Eastern Cape I never saw a snake, only one tortoise and a couple of small lizards. The cooling weather does not seem to inhibit the activity of the spiders or cockroaches though.

 

[Tanner Lee]

I am personally not a big fan of snakes and was pretty worried about them on my first trip to SA (probably because of all the animal planet I watched growing up)

Since your going in May there is a chance to tan across some snakes but winter is starting in SA then so you shouldn’t see any.

My last trip was 65ish days from May to July. During that time I only saw on snake out and about and the others we came across when cleaning out a storage shed.

You could bring your snake chaps but I think you will be ok with out them. You can always ask your outfitter too about the snake activity in their area around that time of year. But there should not be to many out most should hunkering down for winter at that time.

 

[IvW]

Short answer is no....you have a better chance of dying on the flight over than being bitten by a snake......

 

[JimP]

My first hunt in the Eastern Cape was in May and we were in snake country and the outfitter had just killed a cape cobra the week before we arrived.

But I didn't see a single snake or even a snake skin and the thought of being cautious didn't even cross my mind. As was mentioned you will have a PH and tracker in the front of you 99% of the time

 

[IvW]

So you will be third in line....if they swing around and say run you are first....no need to be the fastest just dont be the slowest....

 

[Nkawu]

I have hunted Limpopo for the last 20+ years and have seen only a handful of snakes and only in the summer months. In May you will be fortunate to see a snake.

 

[R.M.C.]

I saw several snakes while hunting in Limpopo in late August, but camp was right on the crocodile river so a few were expected. While hunting in the tall grass and stuff, I wouldn't worry about it. They probably slither away long before you see them and the pH is first in line. Go have a good time and don't worry about black mambas and cobras too much. I think there's way more snakes in south Texas. Good luck and let us know how you make out!!

 

[NIGHTHAWK]

You are likely to be told there was a snake or asked if you noticed “the one that went by”. Each time I was in proximity of a snake in SA, I didn’t see them. On my last trip a Cobra crossed in front of the truck and I was looking the other direction. The other time a snake was near (2014), I was asked if I saw what was likely a Cobra. I said no and asked my PH why he didn’t mention it? He told me he didn’t want to alarm me to something that wasn’t an immediate threat! Obviously, it was close, and he was paying attention, but we were hunting Buffalo and my focus was elsewhere. I trust my PH, so it really didn’t trouble me.

 

[TheGrayRider]

Your outfitter, trackers, and camp staff will watch for snakes during your trip. With all due respect to your question, a much bigger threat to your personal well being and safety is traveling through locations and airports here like Newark, New Jersey; Atlanta, Georgia; and Houston, Texas. I feel safer in Africa in both rural and urban areas than I do right here in my own country! Happy travels and hunting, TheGrayRider.

 

[Mark Biggerstaff]

My first trip to South Africa I was like you, worried about what I had read and heard about snakes. I took my lace up Danners I wear here in South Texas. Don’t hunt here without them.
That was the biggest mistake ever taking them. There is no need for them. Last three trips I wear Courtney’s and hunt. In 4 trips I have only seen 1 snake a Puff Adder and he was way to close. As in it crawled across the top of my right foot while I was standing still relieving my Bladder!!!
Just look around and watch your step.