HERALD EASTERN CAPE (Port Elizabeth, South Africa) 11 March 08 Snakes alive! Animal expert loves reptiles (Gareth Wilson)
While some animal lovers prefer dogs or cats as pets, Port Elizabeth wildlife specialist Mark Marshall has 161 venomous and non-venomous snakes roaming in his back yard, ranging from the Cape cobra and puff adder to the larger boa constrictors and pythons.
Where most people run away in the face of danger, or an angry rearing snake, Marshall runs towards it.
“I will try to catch any problematic animal I possibly can,” Marshall said.
“My collection consists of probably the most diverse and rarest variety in the Bay,” boasts Marshall, while handling a rehabilitated two-metre rinkhals.
The 33-year-old former Bayworld and Nature Conservation employee has been a reptile lover for the better part of his life – catching, rehabilitating and releasing all species of animals from snakes to birds.
He has now branched off and formed his own company, Sandula Conservation, dedicated to environmental control, where he advises construction companies on how to build more environmentally friendly building and establishments.
“Some people call me to catch frogs out of their garden because they make so much noise,” Marshall said.
The reptile fundi says that some days he comes home and finds more tortoises and various other animals left on his Kragga Kamma smallholding garden.
“Often I come home and people have either found abandoned tortoises or other injured animals and leave them for me to fix up.”
The wide variety of animals Marshall receives or catches in people‘s gardens are rehabilitated and eventually released into nature reserves nearby.
This adds to the animal diversity and animal growth within the reserves.
During the floods three years ago, Marshall said, he was catching up to 200 snakes a day. They were all rehabilitated and moved to “safer ground”.
He also runs various animal programmes such as Tortoise Rescue and Snake Corner, dedicated solely to education and public awareness, where people from all walks of life can become accustomed to snakes – instead of scared.
“Snake Corner is at the Sherwood Garden Centre, where I have a permanent snake viewing display,” Marshall said.
“I have 23 snakes on display there.”
He is there between 10am and noon every Saturday to answer any animal problems or questions.
“I am often there and anyone is welcome to come and hold a snake or ask questions,” Marshall said.
The one aspect that upsets him, he said, is the exploitation of snakes for money. “It should be more of a passion. People should keep and look after snakes cause they love them, not for money,” he said.
Marshall has also taken to writing and is hoping to publish a book on local reptiles which will be coupled with his personal stories on snake encounters.
Animal expert loves reptiles