 |  | | | Black Mamba expert Thea Litschka-Koen | 18 Nov 2009 | | |
 The "White Witch"
The black mamba is a snake with a notorious reputation for being fast, furious and deadly. Its bite is known as the kiss of death. Without treatment, the mortality rate is 100 %. In Swaziland, these lethal snakes turn up everywhere during the summer months - in homes, schools and cars and people are bitten every week. With very limited health care and no anti-venom available, it’s becoming a crisis. A snake handler called Thea Litschka-Koen known affectionately as 'the white witch' has been helping to remove and rescue snakes, effectively offering an emergency call out service to local people. This has lead to a research project tracking black mambas to find out more about how these deadly snakes spend their lives. As Thea’s work is featured in a documentary, Jenni talks to her about her passion for venomous snakes, the difficulties of catching and handling mambas, and how to live alongside them.
'Black Mamba, White Witch' : BBC 2, Thursday 19 November, at 9pm | |
| | Retired? Downsizing? Moving home to be nearer the kids?We'd like to hear your stories about moving house |
|
