SANParks.org Forums

First there was only a snake in the grass. And then it was under there engine cap…

“The snake came sailing out of the grass, and then headed directly towards us,” Marlene Swart and Leon Swanepoel from Brits commented, after a giant python ended up under the engine cap of their silver Renault Clio on their most recent visit to the Kruger National Park.

“We belong to the Facebook group Kruger National Park Sightings and got a message about lions close to where we were. On our way there we came across a pile-up of cars and thought they were perhaps having a look at the lions.”

The two of them were enlightened with the fact of the python being in the grass.

“Suddenly the python emerged from the grass and came right towards us. I signalled the driver behind us to reverse but he did not understand what I was trying to tell him,” Swart said.

The snake was by then already under their vehicle. Swart and Swanepoel waited for the snake to crawl out from under the car but no such luck.

“The people around us started to murmur because the snake had just disappeared.”

The driver of a wild exploring vehicle told the two of them he thinks the snake had crawled into the engine cap.

They immediately drove to the closest lookout point and stopped at Mathekenyane, about 10km from Skukuza. All the other tourists followed out of curiosity.

“I was petrified, especially when Leon mentioned the snake could have crawled into a space where it could be impossible to get him out from.”

Swanepoel opened the engine cap and saw the giant python curled up.

“There the snake was blessedly calm, busy warming himself,” Swart said.

Swanepoel took the snake by its tail and slowly started to pull the snake out from the engine. The snake sailed away unharmed and luckily the car was also not damaged.

In the meantime Swart and Swanepoel had long-gone forgot about the lions, and after the incident rather drove to Skukuza for some sugar water.

“Later that day we received a message on the Facebook group reporting a very relaxed snake in the grass near Mathekenyane,” Swart reported.