Latest news with #Mambas
IOL News
15-07-2025
- General
- IOL News
‘There shouldn't be a python here': Nick Evans stunned by snake discovery on Durban's M19
Nick Evans, a Durban snake catcher, with a python he rescued on the M19 near New Germany in Pinetown this week. Durban snake catcher Nick Evans rescued a three-metre python on the M19 near Pinetown. For Evans, what was unusual was that pythons are not usually found in these areas. Evan said he was contacted by the eThekwini Municipality about a large python hanging around a patch of bush next to the M19 near New Germany. "There's no pythons there, it will be a Black Mamba", Evans recalled telling the caller. He said there probably was a python population in the vicinity many, many decades ago, but they've since been wiped out. He said that while Mambas are also unusual, it was more likely. He said he followed them to the spot where they had seen the big snake. "When we arrived, I got out of my car, armed with my tongs, ready to catch the mamba. Then they pointed out the snake. I was shocked, it was a python." Evans said he put his thongs away and planned to grab its head, but the snake tried to escape into thicker bush. Evans said that with the help of his companion Joseph, they managed to catch the python. So, where did the python come from? "I don't believe it's an escaped pet. Southern African Pythons are a protected species, illegal to keep, and make terrible pets as they don't calm down. "Sometimes they're kept illegally in cruel conditions, not as pets, but for scamming reasons, but such snakes usually have injuries on their snouts from attempting to escape. He said there's an industrial area nearby. "Maybe, just maybe, it got into a truck somewhere, and got brought to the New Germany area." IOL News
eNCA
11-06-2025
- Sport
- eNCA
Bafana tame Mambas in international friendly
JOHANNESBURG - Bafana Bafana wrapped up the Fifa international week with a comfortable victory over Mozambique. The home side wasted several excellent goal-scoring opportunities in a one-sided encounter at Peter Mokaba Stadium in Polokwane last night. It took until the second half before they broke the deadlock. Sinoxolo Kwayiba headed home the opening goal before substitute Ashley Cupido added an emphatic second goal to secure a deserved triumph over the Mambas. It's a morale-boosting result for Hugo Broos and Co ahead of the FIFA World Cup Qualifiers, after they were held to a stalemate by Tanzania at the same venue last Friday.
TimesLIVE
04-06-2025
- General
- TimesLIVE
Mambas bite Bafana B in Cosafa Cup opener
The Bafana Bafana B team taking part in the Cosafa Cup in Bloemfontein got off to a rocky start, losing 1-0 to an energetic Mozambique at Free State Stadium on Wednesday. Star attacker Antonio Sumbane provided the 73rd-minute winner for the Mambas. Both teams, as is the nature of the Southern African competition, are definitely developmental combinations. Hugo Broos's senior Bafana meet Mozambique's first-stringers in a friendly in Polokwane on Tuesday. The senior coach has no Mamelodi Sundowns players available as the Betway Premiership champions prepare for the Club World Cup that starts in the US on June 14, and Broos has picked many new faces as he widens his talent pool. Vela Khumalo, only announced as coach of the South African Cosafa Cup side late last week, had his hastily-arranged squad arrive on Monday, with just two training sessions to their opener. That seemed to show in the overall performance. 🏆 ℂ𝕆𝕊𝔸𝔽𝔸 ℂ𝕌ℙ 𝟚𝟘𝟚𝟝 🏆 🗣️ "𝙸𝚝 𝚠𝚊𝚜 𝚊 𝚐𝚘𝚘𝚍 𝚙𝚎𝚛𝚏𝚘𝚛𝚖𝚊𝚗𝚌𝚎 𝚋𝚞𝚝 𝚗𝚘𝚝 𝚐𝚘𝚘𝚍 𝚛𝚎𝚜𝚞𝚕𝚝𝚜" Bafana Bafana coach Vela Khumalo reacting to their loss against Mozambique in their opening match. #SABCSportFootball #COSAFACup — SABC Sport (@SABC_Sport) June 4, 2025 The South Africans owned the first half but could not take the lead. Khumalo's side waned notably in the second 45 minutes. South Africa skinned Mozambique down the right in the opening 45 minutes, where TS Galaxy fullback Puso Dithejane and Stellenbosch FC attacker Sanele Barns combined well and often ran rampant. Yet the Mambas also had opportunities, notably one early on where lively playmaker Sumbane's cross from the left was spilt by goalkeeper Thakasani Mbanjwa to Baptista, who struck at South Africa's keeper after he had regained his footing. Victor Letsoalo was played through on the left and struck onto the crossbar. Sometimes the South Africans seemed to over-elaborate, though it was fun to watch, Dithejane back-heeling to Barns, taking a return pass and driving over from the edge of the area. 🏆 ℂ𝕆𝕊𝔸𝔽𝔸 ℂ𝕌ℙ 𝟚𝟘𝟚𝟝 🏆 ⚽️ ⒼⓄⒶⓁ: The Mambas break the deadlock! 𝐒𝐨𝐮𝐭𝐡 𝐀𝐟𝐫𝐢𝐜𝐚 🇿🇦 0⃣➖1⃣ 🇲🇿 𝐌𝐨𝐳𝐚𝐦𝐛𝐢𝐪𝐮𝐞 🚨 LIVE 📺 SABC Sport | SABC 1 📱 🌐 #SABCSportFootball #COSAFACup — SABC Sport (@SABC_Sport) June 4, 2025 Barnes cut a pass back from the right to Dithejane who again struck over, this time from just inside the box. South Africa continued to press back from the change rooms but when Mozambique's flowing front line found their stride their movement troubled the hosts. In the 59th minute right-back Oscar Cherene squared and Sumbane struck first-time onto the crossbar, the rebound ricocheting in off Dithejane. The video assistant referee (VAR) check found an offside and over-ruled the goal. Then Mozambique did take the lead, substitute Valter Daúce in space on the right to hit at goal, the shot parried one-handed by Mbanjwa into the path of Sumbane to gratefully sweep into an open net. South Africa hoped they had a penalty when referee Andrisoa Zafimahatoha of Madagascar blew for a handball with just over 10 minutes of normal time left. The VAR showed Vuyo Letlapa's shot was onto the arm of Cherene, who could not have removed the limb, and the decision was overruled.
IOL News
08-05-2025
- General
- IOL News
Durban snake catcher retrieves sixth Black Mamba from Westville home
Nick Evans poses with the fifth/sixth Black Mamba. Image: Supplied A Durban snake-catcher got more than he bargained for when he went to a Westville home this week. Nick Evans is a well-known snake rescuer in KwaZulu-Natal (KZN) and has seen so much, but was not prepared for what he would see. Evans said he previously caught a Black Mamba under the solar panel from a house in Westville, and since then, he caught two more. Another colleague of his in this industry also caught one. That is four Black Mambas from one roof. On Wednesday, Evans was called back to the same house. 'I couldn't believe it when the homeowner's number popped up twice on my phone. Both Mambas were found by the guys replacing the ceiling boards. They heard the Mambas moving on top of the plastic, beneath the tiles- a Mamba's favourite spot in a roof,' Evans said. This brings the total Black Mambas caught at this house to six. 'I managed to pull the two impressive specimens out through holes in the plastic. The second one was a beast. Both were males, but he (number six) was the biggest,' Evans said. Nick Evans snake rescuer poses with one of the two snakes retrieved in Westville. Image: Supplied Video Player is loading. Play Video Play Unmute Current Time 0:00 / Duration -:- Loaded : 0% Stream Type LIVE Seek to live, currently behind live LIVE Remaining Time - 0:00 This is a modal window. Beginning of dialog window. Escape will cancel and close the window. Text Color White Black Red Green Blue Yellow Magenta Cyan Transparency Opaque Semi-Transparent Background Color Black White Red Green Blue Yellow Magenta Cyan Transparency Opaque Semi-Transparent Transparent Window Color Black White Red Green Blue Yellow Magenta Cyan Transparency Transparent Semi-Transparent Opaque Font Size 50% 75% 100% 125% 150% 175% 200% 300% 400% Text Edge Style None Raised Depressed Uniform Dropshadow Font Family Proportional Sans-Serif Monospace Sans-Serif Proportional Serif Monospace Serif Casual Script Small Caps Reset restore all settings to the default values Done Close Modal Dialog End of dialog window. Advertisement Video Player is loading. Play Video Play Unmute Current Time 0:00 / Duration -:- Loaded : 0% Stream Type LIVE Seek to live, currently behind live LIVE Remaining Time - 0:00 This is a modal window. Beginning of dialog window. Escape will cancel and close the window. Text Color White Black Red Green Blue Yellow Magenta Cyan Transparency Opaque Semi-Transparent Background Color Black White Red Green Blue Yellow Magenta Cyan Transparency Opaque Semi-Transparent Transparent Window Color Black White Red Green Blue Yellow Magenta Cyan Transparency Transparent Semi-Transparent Opaque Font Size 50% 75% 100% 125% 150% 175% 200% 300% 400% Text Edge Style None Raised Depressed Uniform Dropshadow Font Family Proportional Sans-Serif Monospace Sans-Serif Proportional Serif Monospace Serif Casual Script Small Caps Reset restore all settings to the default values Done Close Modal Dialog End of dialog window. Next Stay Close ✕ He told IOL that Black Mambas are common in the Westville area and as well as many parts of Durban that has valleys and bushes. 'You would ask why so many in one roof? The house borders a nature reserve and the house had many trees growing over and against the roof, providing easy access for the mambas. So keep branches of trees cut away from roofs, but there's no need to chop down the oxygen-supplying plant; it won't deter snakes if you do,' Evans said. He went further, stating there was a healthy dassie/hyrax population living inside the ceiling for many years, as there were mini mountains of their faeces throughout the roof. 'So the strong smell of them would have attracted mambas, which feed on the young ones. It would not surprise me if rats tried living in there, but I saw no signs of them. With mambas around, they wouldn't last long,' Evans said. He said another reason for the large number of Black Mambas in the roof could be mating season, as these particular snakes do not live in groups. He said his colleague caught a 2.6-metre female, and she could have attracted males to the area. 'The recent chill in the air has sparked off mating season for mambas, which breed through the winter months. With the pheromones she'd give off, she may have attracted one or two males, but one of the other six was a young female, who may have left her scent trail.
Daily Mail
29-04-2025
- Entertainment
- Daily Mail
Fury as LA mural dedicated to Kobe Bryant and daughter Gigi is vandalized
Vandals have sparked fury in Los Angeles after a mural paying tribute to basketball legend Kobe Bryant and his daughter Gigi was defaced. Shocking before and after footage shared to Instagram by @Kobemural showed the striking mural had been ruined by the senseless act. In a GoFundMe set up to pay for repairs, it was noted that the mural was painted as a special collaboration with the NFL for Superbowl LVI. 'The beautiful Kobe & Gigi mural that has brought inspiration and unity to so many,' the fundraiser said. 'The Kobe & Gigi mural holds a special place in our hearts, symbolizing strength, legacy, and love.' The mural had shown Bryant in his LA Lakers jersey kissing his daughter Gigi as she held a basketball, with the words 'Mambas Forever' painted to the side. Shoddy graffiti now covers the father and daughter after vandals spray painted large white letters over the colorful mural. Social media reacted with fury after the vandalism was discovered, with one X user branding the perpetrator a 'piece of s***' who is 'the definition of rotten souls.' The mural is one of several that are dotted around Los Angeles, many of which were designed after the longtime Lakers player died in a helicopter crash with Gigi in January 2020 Others said on social media that the vandalism stunt was 'stupid' and was disappointing to see given Kobe's place in California's sporting history. 'Wow that's disrespectful,' one said. Another user questioned: 'Who would do something like this?' The mural is one of several that are dotted around Los Angeles, many of which were designed after the longtime Lakers player died in a helicopter crash with Gigi in January 2020. Seven others were killed when the helicopter crashed in the Calabasas hills. Gianna, known as Gigi, was just 13 years old when she was killed alongside her father and all seven others on board the helicopter, which crashed in the Calabasas hills. They were: John Altobelli, 56; Keri Altobelli, 46; Alyssa Altobelli,13; Christina Mauser, 38, Sarah Chester; Payton Chester; and pilot Ara Zobayan, 50 It was later revealed that Zobayan was warned he was 'too low' as he flew through thick fog moments before slamming into the side of the hills. They had flown from John Wayne Airport near Kobe's home in Newport Beach and were on their way to Thousand Oaks to Bryant's Mamba Basketball Academy when they crashed. January 2025 marked the five-year anniversary of the tragedy, as figures from across the sports and entertainment worlds paid tribute to Kobe and his daughter. 'I think the world actually stood still for a moment,' Elissa Grabow, a former assistant of Kobe's, said on the CNN documentary 'Kobe: The Making of a Legend,' via People. 'I cried all day, all night,' added former NBA star Tracy McGrady. 'I couldn't believe it... not Kobe... not Kobe.' A public memorial service for Kobe and Gianna was held eloquently on February 24, with the date marking Kobe's iconic shirt number. 'Kobe had a very, very, very special relationship with my kids,' said sports journalist Scoop Jackson. 'The thing that got me, that was hardest for me, was telling them. Yeah, I've done some hard s*** in my life but that was one of the most difficult ones.' WNBA legend Sheryl Swoopes 'immediately thought of Vanessa' upon hearing the news. 'Because as a parent, and as a wife, but as a parent, you never think you're going to lose your child,' Swoopes added.
