Protected Southern African python hatchlings safely released

SOUTHERN African python eggs rescued along with their mother from a private property earlier this year have recently hatched and the 60cm- to 70cm-long hatchlings were safely released by the Crocworld team into the wild.

On January 11, Crocworld Conservation Centre’s reptile curator, Wade Killian, and Crocworld Animal Care team member Mdu Nunwana received a call from a distressed homeowner in the Widenham area of Kwazulu-Natal.

She feared for the safety of her dogs after spotting a large female Southern African python on her riverside property.

On arrival Killian spotted the python had a clutch of eggs.

The mother and her eggs were safely removed from the property.

The clutch of eggs were placed in an incubator at Crocworld and the female python was safely released into a suitable habitat the next day.

Fast forward to a few months later and the Crocworld team reported that the python’s eggs had recently hatched and the hatchlings were safely released by the Crocworld team into the wild last week.

“Female Southern African pythons lay their eggs in abandoned burrows or in mounds of vegetation and remain with the eggs throughout the incubation period until the offspring hatch and disperse soon after.

“Southern African pythons are a protected species in South Africa as they are highly sought after for bushmeat and traditional medicine.

“They reach up to 6m in length and are generally found around water sources from which they often ambush their prey,” said Killian.