Rinkhals Snake Beaten By Men

The following story about a Rinkhals snake was submitted by Johannesburg Wildlife Veterinary Hospital in South Africa.

Two men recently captured a female Rinkhals (Hemachatus haemachatus) snake in a Johannesburg conservancy area. They did this by allegedly beating her and then capturing her in a bucket. Thereafter, they decided to try to sell her. Selling her to a pawn shop, a concerned member of the public alerted their local animal welfare, who in turn sought help from us.

With the assistance from the Johannesburg SAPS K9 Unit, we received confirmation of the identities of the people involved, as well as confirmation of the location of the snake. Our hospital took custody of the snake. Dr. K completed a veterinary examination of the poor snake, which revealed that the snake was dehydrated, exhausted and suffering from multiple injuries including a punctured lung. Given the snake’s compromised state, fluids, pain medication, and careful tube feeding with EmerAid IC Carnivore was the best way forward.

We have opened a case and brought about charges against the individuals responsible for the illegal catching, keeping, harming, and selling of this animal. We believe in the importance of all indigenous animal lives, and the ill treatment of any of our indigenous wildlife will not be tolerated by us.

Please consider supporting our team’s tireless efforts in seeking justice for our patients that deserve their voices to be heard! With each criminal sentence, we set a precedent for that species. The more we stand up, the stricter the sentences become. We can and we are making a difference together, and we cannot do this without your support.