[gentle soothing music] - [Narrator] Africa's deadliest snake, the black mamba.

During the long, hot African summer in Swaziland, it turns up in the most unlikely and unwanted places.

[dramatic enigmatic music] [children screaming] People kill mambas here.

But if you are close enough to kill a mamba, it's close enough to kill you.

Snake bites in Africa are reaching epidemic proportions, and Thea and her husband, Clifton, are trying to relieve this crisis in Swaziland to save both snake and human lives.

- I'm outta control!

[boxes clattering] Yo!

- Jesus!

- Whoa!

[Thea laughs] [Clifton speaks indistinctly] - [Narrator] Thea is affectionately known by the locals as the "White Witch".

She is determined to change attitudes, based on centuries of fear and superstition, towards the most infamous and lethal snake in Africa.

- Well done.

[gently smooching] - And we should actually have that kiss before we go, 'cause it could be the last one.

[uptempo tribal music] [snakes hissing] [dark ominous tones] [stirring dramatic music] [stirring dramatic music continues] [stirring dramatic music continues] [gentle melodic music] [birds chirping] - [Narrator] The black mamba is a snake with a notorious reputation for being fast, furious, and deadly, Long and slender, it can grow up to 13 feet, and is strong enough to raise a third of its body above the ground and look you in the eye.

An iconic predator.

It is terrifying, and yet, fascinating.

- Mabas, they are elegant, the way they move, the way they hunt, the way they behave.

There's no other snake that can touch a mamba.

Just the way it looks at you, you can almost see the intelligence in their eyes, and they are inquisitive, believe it or not.

- [Narrator] This is a snake with attitude.

If cornered, it will readily strike, and strike again.

Its bite is known as the "kiss of death".

[bird whoops in the distance] [birds chirping] Swaziland is one of the smallest countries in Africa.

Less than half the size of Switzerland, it is a landlocked kingdom between Mozambique and South Africa.

Black mambas are living in the vast plantations of sugar cane that have replaced their wild habitat.

They come to prey on small mammals and reptiles, but they like to take refuge in dark, quiet corners.

[insects chittering] October is the end of spring in Africa, and as the heat builds before the rains, snakes are on the move.

After a winter of inactivity, they are hungry.

[suspenseful dramatic music] And this is where many of them come to find their prey, in mile upon mile of sugar cane.

[sprinkler whirring] These are some of the largest cane estates in the Southern Hemisphere.

The hot, humid climate here makes it perfect for the sugar and perfect for snakes.

The big African savannas and larger wildlife may have diminished, but the rodents, reptiles, and amphibians thrive in the cane.

[insects chiding] [gentle melodic music] Climbing up the cane stalks to waist height, a mamba will spend hours basking here.

Its color is not black, but olive gray.

The black mamba is named after the black inside its mouth.

[gentle melodic music continues] Its light underbelly helps it disappear against the bright sky.

[stalks rustling] [voices echoing] [dramatic enigmatic music] [stalks continue rustling] With large eyes, it has better sight than most snakes.

Sudden movements will cause it to strike with deadly accuracy.

[stalks rustling] And without the proper anti-venom, a black mamba's kill rate is 100%.

[ominous dramatic music] It smells an intruder approaching by using its long, forked tongue.

[stalks rustling] [indistinct chattering] [workers chatter in a foreign language] [ominous dramatic music continues] Thousands of workers have to enter the cane to weed in the channels.

In a dense habitat like this, a mamba may not sense intruders until they're almost upon it.

[workers chatter indistinctly] [suspenseful dramatic music] [snake hissing] [car engine roars] Two snakes have been spotted by workers cultivating the cane.

Until they are found, work will stop.

- [Clifton] And you're positive that it's a black mamba?

- [Thea] Go in.

- [Narrator] Thea may love snakes, but her husband, Clifton, is scared of them, yet, he still goes along to help.

- [Thea] How big was the snake?

- It was a huge one.

- [Thea] Huge?

- Yeah.

- And the color?

Explain the color for me.

- Well, it was light grayish on the under part, and then a bit darker on top.

- [Thea] All right.

And we're gonna have a quick look, just to see if we can still find it.

- [Clifton] Just be careful.

This undergrowth is very thick, huh?

- [Thea] Yeah, it's very dangerous here.

This is suicidal.

[stalks rustling] [workers chatter in a foreign language] Clifton, I think this is too unsafe, eh, if they've seen three in here.

- [Clifton] No, it's not safe enough to walk inside [mumbles].

- You might see it again.

Please call us immediately, and keep an eye on it.

But don't let all the girls come and have a look.

They must be very, very quiet.

Then we've got a good chance of taking it out.

But I don't think we're gonna find it today.

- [Narrator] The weeders will now leave this field until it's cut.

- [Clifton] You look exceptionally attractive in those boots.

I've been trying to get you in knee-highs for years.

- [Thea] But I'm sure you didn't want a size 10.

[Clifton laughs] [ATV engine rumbles] [ATV engine continues rumbling] - [Narrator] Thea and Clifton Litschka-Koen look after a hotel, a family, and an orphaned warthog.

They were both born in Africa, and Thea's family has lived here in Swaziland for three generations.

[phone rings] [Thea speaks indistinctly] - Hi, babe.

- Hi.

I thought we had the mobile number?

[Clifton mumbles indistinctly] - [Clifton] It's not important right now.

- There's a lot of pig happening there.

I just hear [smacking].

- There's a lot of pig happening here.

[Thea chuckles] - [Narrator] Thea has always loved animals, but she couldn't have foreseen the path her life would take.

It all started with one of her sons.

- Hold it.

Hold it, don't let it move.

Oliver, my son, had the school project.

They were allowed to choose the subject, and he chose snakes as his project.

Help me, Ollie.

You can run the tape- - Thea went off to town.

She bought him a little corn snake.

A week later, she felt that this corn snake was lonely, so she bought another one.

- We went onto the internet, and did a lot of research, and I became more and more interested in what I was reading.

I was fascinated!

- It was a few weeks after that, I think, if I'm not mistaken, we ended up in Jo'burg, where Thea was doing a handling and ID course.

- So I thought, you know, in for a penny, in for a pound.

So I did this mamba handling course.

- And that's really how the snake park started.

I can only thank goodness that Oliver didn't come home with a project on gorillas.

- [Narrator] As Thea's passion for snakes grew, she quickly realized just how many people were being killed or maimed.

She felt compelled to do something about it, both to help the snakes and the people they threatened.

Thea founded the reptile park, the only one in Swaziland.

It's situated in Nisela Nature Reserve.

Here, people can learn snake identification, and even how to handle some of the residents.

The park is providing a home for some of the rescued snakes, and equally importantly, it's become a center for education.

Many of the mambas and other snakes they rescue are released directly into the reserve.

It seems like a good idea, but do they simply return to the areas where they used to live?

Do they even survive the translocation?

[car engine rumbles] [upbeat mellow music] Thea would like to find out.

She wants to initiate the first ever study to radio-track black mambas in the wild.

It's September, spring in Swaziland, and for black mambas, it's the mating season.

[stirring dramatic music] [uptempo enigmatic music] When the males meet, they fight.

[uptempo enigmatic music continues] [uptempo enigmatic music continues] The winner will pin the loser's head to the ground.

[soft suspenseful music] And then, claim his reward.

[birds chirping] [soft suspenseful music continues] The male inspects the female's body with his tongue.

[soft suspenseful music continues] [soft suspenseful music continues] [soft suspenseful music continues] If mating is successful, the female will lay up to 17 eggs, usually in a nest underground or in a hollow tree.

They won't hatch until later on in the summer, in about three months time.

[soft suspenseful music continues] Mambas are having a tough time here.

So much of their wild habitat has been transformed, forcing them to live alongside people, which can only mean one thing.

[phone rings] - Hello?

Yes?

November to February is incredibly busy, with February being the most active.

It's the warmest month in Swaziland, and that's when it really gets crazy.

Is the snake still there?

In the bedroom.

All right, we're coming now.

We're very close now.

We're just looking for your house, eh?

- [Narrator] They've already rescued one mamba today, and are on their way to their second call-out.

[phone rings] - Room six.

Okay.

[stammers] James, what is it?

Just keep it there.

Just close the door.

We're on our way.

Okay.

[interposing voices] There's another call-out at the club in one of the rooms.

They think it's a black mamba as well.

They say it's quite a big one.

Watch yourself by the door.

[door creaks] Can you see anything?

- I can see absolutely squat.

Torch, that would be a good idea.

Wait for me.

Don't do anything without me.

- Okay.

[phone rings] Oh, Jesus!

- Thea!

- There's another one.

Okay.

Hello?

Yeah, I can't talk now.

Please phone me back.

Please phone me back in 10 minutes, thanks.

[objects clattering] [plastic bag softly thuds] Here we go, here we go, here we go!

- [Clifton] What is it?

- [Thea] It's a mamba.

- [Clifton] Hey.

- [Thea] Seems like quite a nice one.

- [Clifton] Okay.

No, no, don't, don't, don't, don't, don't, don't!

Let's just look.

- [Thea] Can you get that out?

I need to lift it.

Ooh!

Struck at me, eh?

- Is it?

- Yep.

- All right, you go... Ooh!

[objects clattering] That's not very clever, is it?

- Hey, go, go, go!

Take him, take him, take him!

- [Clifton] No, no!

- [Thea] Hold him!

Just as he wants to bite.

Okay, let me take him here.

It's too dangerous.

- [Clifton] We can't put him on the carpet?

- [Thea] No.

Take him out.

- Maybe here?

- It's too crowded in here.

Now it's pissed off.

[Clifton mumbles] Okay.

- Lifting him?

Lifting him?

- Okay.

- Have you got it?

- Yeah, go.

[Thea grunts] Go now.

He's gonna roll.

It was twisting.

Come on, boy, or we're gonna hurt you.

- I'm letting him roll.

- Yeah.

- I'm letting him roll.

- It's too dangerous to touch the mamba until it stops twisting.

- He's twisting.

[Clifton speaks indistinctly] - He's cross.

- Okay.

- He doesn't wanna- - I've got him, I've got him!

- You've got him?

- Yeah.

Very cross boy.

[pants] This way.

Checking just to see.

I don't think that I do it for the adrenaline kick.

Not that I don't feel the adrenaline rush after I have caught a black mamba, or any other venomous snake.

My hearts going doo, doo, doo, doo, doo!

Okay.

- Sweet.

- Sweet.

Okay.

But I don't do it for that reason.

I do it because people need you, you know?

And it's very difficult to say no.

Okay, on three, okay?

- One, two, three, go!

- Okay.

Let's run, there's another.

There is no option here.

We have to do it.

There's nobody else to do it.

They used to rely a lot on the Royal Swaziland Police, but they were terrified themselves, and they would just go and actually destroy the snake.

They'd shoot it.

[stirring dramatic music] Hello?

Oh, okay.

Sorry, I just need a couple of minutes.

I'll phone you back as soon as I can.

We're a bit busy at the moment.

Sorry, just a few minutes, eh?

Sorry.

Stay safe, bye.

- Don't panic.

- Rule number two?

- Don't panic.

[quirky suspenseful music] - We're at one of the rooms at the club, which we manage, and they've seen a snake inside the room itself.

- [Narrator] The maid spotted the mamba as she was cleaning one of the guest rooms.

[Clifton laughs] - I think it's in the bedroom now.

- Did you see it when you went in there?

- Yes!

- Yes.

- Okay, all right.

- Check the paint.

- Do!

[Clifton speaks indistinctly] [Clifton and Thea laugh] - Look here.

- Mm-hmm.

[Clifton whistles] - [Clifton] I'm just gonna take a peek again, huh?

- [Thea] What's the guy's name who stays here?

[both chuckle] - [Clifton] Okay.

- Is the air conditioner on?

- Yeah.

- [Thea] Ah, that's gonna make it easier.

[door tapping] - [Narrator] Somewhere in this bedroom, taking refuge from the heat, is a six and a half foot black mamba.

[staff member laughs] [housekeeper whimpers] - [Staff Member] I'm scared.

[chuckles] - You can't see anything?

- No.

[Clifton speaks indistinctly] [Clifton hums] - [Thea] Yeah.

- [Clifton] Okay, I'm gonna pull it.

Are you ready?

- [Thea] Yeah.

Okay, pull.

- One, two, three.

[bed frame shuffles] - Nope.

- No?

I'm just gonna open the door quickly.

- Okay.

- All right.

Okay.

- Not there?

[door thuds shut] We're running out of options here.

Okay.

- Mm-hmm.

Three.

[nightstand shuffling] Yep!

- Yo!

- Jesus!

- Whoa!

[Thea chuckles] [Clifton speaks indistinctly] Hello!

[bed frame shuffles] Okay, Clifton, it's seen us, eh?

- Okay.

- Okay, wait.

Pull it a bit more.

- You ready?

- Yeah.

- [Clifton] I'm gonna do it slowly, yeah?

- [Thea] Yeah.

Just pull.

Got him.

- Got him?

- Yep.

- Sweet.

- No, it's not that big.

'Kay, take him, take him!

- Got it.

- Good.

- [Clifton] And he's got a lot more of me than what I should have.

- [Thea] Okay.

- [Clifton] Got him?

Just take him anywhere.

[interposing voices] - 'Kay, 'kay.

- Okay, have you got him?

- [Thea] Nope.

- [Clifton] I'm watching, watching his head!

Watching his head!

- Here.

Perfect, perfect, perfect!

- Sweet.

- Sweet.

Sweet.

Mmm, mmm, mmm, mmm, I'm outta control!

- Have you got- - No, it's cool!

It's cool!

Okay, I've got it!

- Okay.

- [Thea] Okay, now.

- Be very careful.

- Yeah.

- [Clifton] Have you got, have you got?

- [Thea] I've got.

- Firm?

- Firm.

- Okay.

- 'Kay.

Yeah.

- Okay.

- [Thea] Okay.

Okay.

- All right.

One, two, three.

- Ooh, look, look!

- What?

- Wait.

You gotta see this.

- Fangs through the bag.

- [Thea] Did you see the venom shoot out there?

Yeah.

- Okay.

One... - Two... - Two, three, go!

[bag rustling] All right.

- Okay.

Do we tell this guy we found a snake in his room?

He'll probably pack up and leave.

[Clifton chuckles] - [Clifton] This is not good for business.

- Yeah, it's not good for business.

- Hey!

[staff chatters indistinctly] - Hey, don't fold up yet.

- Okay!

[group laughs] [staff member speaks indistinctly] [group continues laughing] [gentle mellow music] - [Narrator] Today, it's been nonstop.

Thea and Clifton have rescued three mambas, and they are on their way to yet another call-out.

- We've had four call-outs today.

Three successful.

We're on our fourth.

Apparently, it's a black mamba in a house at Section 17.

We're off to go and see if we can try and catch it.

[car engine roars] [horn beeps] [motor bike engine rumbles] - [Narrator] Although Thea's passion for snakes was instant, Clifton took a little longer to join in.

- [Thea] Clifton didn't help in the beginning.

He's very afraid.

He would come and he would drive, but he would never actually help me catch.

- [Narrator] But when Thea tore some ligaments in her ankle on a camping trip, Clifton had to step in.

- [Clifton] Snakes are obviously not my thing, but I think when it comes to Thea going out and catching venomous snakes, I think most husbands will try and be the first in line to make sure that everything is safe.

Let's go have a look on top of the cupboard.

- He caught 14 mambas within the first nine days, and it was baptism by fire, absolutely.

He's always with me now, and we trust each other.

We've got a good relationship when we go out and catch snakes, and we work well together as the team.

I can smell him.

Hmm?

- Yeah.

- I can smell the mamba.

Mmm!

- [Narrator] Mamba scat has a unique smell.

It resembles curry powder.

- [Thea] Big one, small one?

- No, he's not big, eh?

- Small?

- Yeah.

- They're the worst ones, eh?

[indistinct chatter in the background] [birds chirping] - Okay, he's moving.

[housemates clamoring] Have you got him?

- Yep.

I've got him, I've got him.

- Hold it.

Okay, I've got him.

- Okay.

- Have you?

- I won't hold him here.

Hold it this way.

- Yep.

Putting on the floor.

- Don't let him go.

Nice.

[person speaks indistinctly] - [Clifton] Okay.

He's hooked, I'm letting go.

Have you got him?

[housemates clamoring] [housemates chatter indistinctly] [housemates clamoring] [Clifton speaks indistinctly] All right, it is a black mamba.

- Yeah.

- All right, you see it's not black, it's gray.

It's called a black mamba because the mouth inside is black.

Do you wanna touch it?

- I do.

[children laughing] - Softly, softly.

- Just touch softly.

There we go.

[indistinct chattering] - [On-Looker] And the tails don't bite?

- No, absolutely not.

- No.

Once we've caught the snake, we're normally bombarded with questions, and we can actually educate as many people that way as possible.

[Thea chatters indistinctly] - Okay, one, two.

[lid clatters] All right, safe.

Very often, when we go and we remove a problematic mamba, the first thing they say to me, "Are they gonna come back?"

And I never know what to say, because I don't know.

We don't know the home range of a mamba.

- [Narrator] These questions have spurred Thea to come up with a plan.

- Thank you!

- Thank you!

- Thank you!

- If she puts radio transmitters into these mambas, and tracks them in the wild, she will be able to gain new insights into this elusive snake.

If she can find out what black mambas do, she may be able to reassure the locals that they won't come back.

- Bye-bye!

- [Narrator] She also hopes to find out whether the snakes she releases survive relocation, or is all their rescue work in vain?

[car engine roars] It's early February, and they've now rescued enough mambas to get their telemetry project underway.

To help, Professor Graham Alexander has come from the University of Witwatersrand in Johannesburg, South Africa.

He has tracked pythons and cobras before, so when it comes to following snakes, he's their man.

- [Thea] Hi!

How do you do?

- Hi!

- Hi.

- You must be Thea?

[Thea speaks indistinctly] Hi, I'm Graham.

- Nice to meet you.

- Hi, pleased to meet you.

- I'm named Clifton.

- My husband, Clifton.

- Hi, Clifton.

- Nice to meet you.

- Pleased to meet you, too.

- Thank you very much for coming down.

This is very exciting.

- And you're welcome.

This is an exciting project.

Yeah, I've brought a whole anesthesia machine down, with oxygen, the whole works, so we shouldn't have any problems with the operation.

[latches clattering] - [Narrator] There's no way to radio collar a snake.

A vet and a team of handlers will have to implant the radio transmitters.

- [Vet] Almost, there you go.

It's straight down.

I can feel it- - Anesthetizing this black mamba is a first, and it's a tricky task for even the most experienced vet.

They use the same gas as for human operations, and it's administered through the snake's breathing tube.

- [Thea] How long should this take?

- It varies tremendously from one individual to the other, even within one species.

So we'll just have to see how it goes.

This is a learning curve for me, too.

[gas hissing] Is he starting to relax?

- Mm-hmm, starting to relax, yes.

- That's good.

So the next thing we need to do, is we need to establish where the heart of the animal is.

So there it is there.

See, there's the heart there.

- There we go.

There.

- Put an H there, just so we know what it means.

There we go.

So no small helicopter's gonna land there.

[group laughs] [Graham speaks indistinctly] That's looking good.

- Okay, this is history in the making, eh?

- [Surgeon] I'm gonna start cuttin'.

- Any reaction there?

- Mm-mmm.

[gas hissing] [Thea sighs] - [Narrator] The transmitters are small, and fit easily into the snake's body cavity.

- [Thea] There we go.

It's sliding in!

- [Surgeon] And now, I've got to, before we stitch it up, put the antennae under the skin.

- Okay.

- It's an obvious species to do a study on, because they have such a reputation.

They're perceived as being so dangerous.

We still know just about nothing about them.

They're big enough to take the transmitter, so it's actually surprising it hasn't been done before.

It really is.

- Stitching is finished.

- Finished?

- Yes.

- Well done!

- [Thea] There we go!

[Thea sighs] - [Graham] So the next bunch are ready to go.

- [Vet] Whoa!

It's already flickering its tongue.

- Yeah.

- Perfect.

[Thea speaks indistinctly] - Ahh!

- [Vet] There we go!

Okay.

Wide fingers.

[gentle melodic music] - [Narrator] With the first one through the operation successfully, the others follow quickly.

[oxygen hissing] [indistinct chattering] [gentle melodic music continues] - [Vet] You're gonna go outside the cavity.

[Thea speaks indistinctly] [gentle melodic music continues] [Graham speaks indistinctly] - You wanna use a torch?

- [Vet] I'd say, by tomorrow.

[faint indistinct chattering] [gentle melodic music continues] [indistinct chattering continues] - [Narrator] Transmitters have been implanted into four snakes, all of whom will be released into the reserve around the reptile park.

Two are resident mambas who come from the reserve.

These will be the control group.

The other two have been rescued from houses more than 60 miles away.

Now, they will follow the daily movements of the two groups to see how they compare.

Finally, the transmitters are all securely implanted.

The mambas will have a night to recover before their release.

It's an exciting new start, and who knows what secrets they will reveal when they return to the wild.

- Good work, man!

- Huh?

- Well done.

- Well done.

[birds chirping] [insects chittering] - [Narrator] With the telemetry project now underway, Thea's attention turns to one of her biggest challenges, the way local people deal with snake bites.

[dark sinister music] - The Swazi people are petrified of snakes, absolutely.

The local people, when they get bitten, because of where they are in their homesteads, they're so far from medical facilities, transport is non-existent, and it takes them forever to get to medical help.

- [Narrator] Due to lack of funding, life-saving anti-venom just isn't available here.

[dark sinister music continues] [dark sinister music swells] [blade chopping] The first option is the local traditional healer.

Healers prescribe herbal medicines known as mooty to treat snake bites, made from tree roots and dried up snakes.

The majority of Swazis, from farm workers to the royal family, turn to these healers for many ailments.

- They rely on the traditional healers, and they believe in the traditional healers, and I don't think we should disregard what they have to say.

- The skeleton of black mamba.

The skin.

- A lot of their treatments really do help.

I'm not so sure about snake bites, but many of the other herbs that they do use do benefit.

It really does.

[shredder clacking] - [Narrator] But so far, traditional medicine has found no way to defeat the black mamba.

[children chatter indistinctly] There has been a tragedy.

Four days ago, a 13-year-old girl, Tengetile, was bitten by a black mamba.

Her mother took her to the local healer.

[mother speaks in a foreign language] - [Interpreter] The traditional healer give Tengetile mooty medicine to drink, and dropped the mooty on the bite.

I thought the mooty would help, but after a while, I realized it was not working, so I looked for transport to get her to the hospital.

They tried everything they could, but they didn't have the right medicine to save her.

They said it was too late, and we mustn't be afraid.

[rooster crows in the distance] [stirring dramatic music] [soft somber music] - [Narrator] The mamba's neurotoxic venom paralyzes.

Breathing becomes impossible, and suffocation follows.

[soft somber music continues] Tengetile died very soon after reaching the hospital, just a few hours after being bitten by the mamba.

- [Interpreter] The younger children still don't understand what happened.

Sometimes, they call her name, "Tengetile, Tengetile?"

And when I ask them, "Why are you calling Tengetile?"

They say, "Our sister, she has gone to the bush".

[trees rustling in the breeze] - [Narrator] Tengetile accidentally stepped on the mamba while she was playing Hide and Seek.

The snake was simply trying to defend itself.

As agriculture encroaches on snake habitat, snake bite fatalities are reaching epidemic proportions worldwide.

Here in Africa, it's now thought that more than 20,000 people are killed by snakes each year.

[mom speaks in a foreign language] - [Interpreter] I'm so scared, because I don't know what's going to happen.

Maybe when they're going to collect firewood, it can happen again?

I'm really not free.

I'm so scared of the snake.

[mom continues speaking in a foreign language] [soft ominous music] - [Narrator] Thea's project to track the mambas has become all the more important in the face of this crisis.

[truck engine roars] The day after their operations, all the snakes are doing well.

It's time to release them into the reserve.

[truck engine continues roaring] - [Thea] Perfect.

It's this tree here, right ahead.

- Which one?

- Here.

[zebras whooping] [gentle mellow music] - [Philane] Hmm, frosty snake.

- [Narrator] First to be liberated is Twiggy.

She is a resident snake, and they put her back into the same tree they found her in, not far from the park headquarters.

- There she goes!

There she goes!

- Wow!

[gentle mellow music continues] - I think it's actually just trying to get as far away from us as possible.

- [Thea] Ah, no, it hasn't seen sunlight for two years.

[gentle mellow music continues] - [Narrator] Next to go is another resident, Bugs, so named because of where he was captured, in a rabbit cage.

He was looking for food, ate three young rabbits, and killed another 12.

- [Thea] Everything's gotta eat, but that's just a waste.

[Philane mumbles indistinctly] - [Philane] [grunts] Just down here.

[truck engine rumbles] - [Narrator] They will be able to compare the behavior of these two resident mambas with the two trans-located ones, which are being released at the other end of the reserve.

[footsteps pattering] - [Thea] Can I help you with the bag?

- [Narrator] Situpa, the mamba from room six at the hotel, is first to go.

To be followed by Khali, who was originally rescued from on top of the kitchen cupboard.

- I think you get him impala here.

- Yeah, I think they said- - Well, you used to, anyway.

[person speaks faintly] - There it is.

It's looking for somewhere to hide.

It's going up.

- [Graham] So, so much for the - Aggressive.

- them being aggressive snakes, huh?

- [Thea] All they're trying to do is get away and survive, eh?

Like us all.

- [Narrator] From now on, these mambos will be radio-tracked 24/7.

Their positions will be recorded to see how far they travel and what they're up to.

[insects chirping] [wings fluttering] [soft melodic music] A few weeks later, Thea is concerned that one of her snakes, Khali, the kitchen cupboard snake, has not been spotted for a while.

They can get a signal on her, but she is not moving, and Thea needs to check whether she is still alive.

She's at the far end of a lake, only accessible by boat.

- It's very unusual for them to stay in one area for a month.

- It is.

This is why we get a bit concerned.

We need to make an effort to try and find her.

But she's gotta- - Yeah, I think we're gonna have some bad news.

- You think so?

- I think so.

- [Thea] Well, I'm hoping to prove you wrong.

[boat motor roaring] There we go.

- That spot?

- There.

Can you hear?

Yeah.

There we go.

Right towards those trees.

Three.

[radio static hissing] Four.

Five.

She's right ahead.

[electronic beeping] - [Graham] Is there any land up ahead?

I mean, I can't see- - Not yet, eh?

I think we're gonna have to get out, and see if we can spot her.

[water splashing] Well, if she is alive, she should be moving with all this noise.

[boat clatters] [Graham yells out] [Thea laughs] Okay, I've got a feeling that you go first, because I think it's deep.

[chuckles] - Okay.

- Look out!

Big Python, big python!

[water splashing] Just here.

- [Thea] Where?

There it is, there it is, there, there, there!

Graham, do you wanna grab it?

It's gonna bite you.

- Was it definitely a python?

- Definitely a python.

A big one, too.

[electronic beeping] Just here!

[Graham mumbles faintly] There.

- [Narrator] The python has to be moved out of the way if they are to work around the tree safely.

- Oh, beauty!

[water splashing] Tell me if you need help.

- [Graham] No, I'm okay.

Done a few pythons in my life.

- [Thea] It's about the only snake I don't like catching.

You know that?

[water splashing] - [Graham] That was cool!

You know, Thea, I might actually start buying what you say.

It looks like a snake is actually moving now, but the strongest signal we've got is up the tree.

- She's above us, eh?

- [Graham] Above us, and supposedly there.

[birds chittering] [electronic beeping] I get two areas where there's strong signals, but this seems to be the more consistent one.

- There she is!

Think I've spotted her.

There she is.

Yes, baby!

- [Graham] And she's alive.

- [Thea] And she's alive.

I think she's staying here because it's ideal habitat.

- Well, I think it's the food source.

I mean, there's just- - It's the food source.

- Food source.

It's secluded.

- I think she's going for the the little weavers, eh?

- [Graham] Yeah, well, certainly, there's a lot here.

- Yes.

- I mean, it's really easy picking.

- [Thea] This is excellent.

I'm really happy.

- [Graham] Well, I'm pleased.

- A little row home and a cup of coffee.

- Yeah, it's working well, isn't it?

It's really working well.

[birds chittering] - [Narrator] Black mambas often live up off the ground, and birds are common prey.

They hunt using a combination of active stalking and ambush.

They surreptitiously pursue their prey, using their large eyes to follow movement.

The mamba positions itself and waits for an opportunity.

[birds continue chittering] [suspenseful dramatic music] Weaver birds build their nests at the ends of the skinniest branches, and often, over water, far from reach.

Even a mamba would find this a challenge.

Nonetheless, the mamba has remarkable strength.

Its body is able to stretch across gaps of three feet or more to reach its prey.

It can move from tree to tree without having to return to the ground.

[wings flapping] [birds continue chittering] The weaver birds work together mobbing the mamba in a combined effort to drive it off.

[suspenseful dramatic music] The transmitters are not just revealing where the snakes are, they also give temperature readings.

These show when the snakes move in and out of the sun to keep their bodies at 86 degrees, the optimum temperature to strike.

[faint indistinct chattering] Tengetile's mother has asked for Thea's help.

She's worried that the mamba that killed her daughter has returned.

- [Thea] It's definitely a black mamba, and it's definitely an active hole, eh?

You can see where it's been moving in and out here.

You can see it's smooth where the snake has gone in.

I've closed up the hole, so that it can't go back in there.

Right, well, let's go and look there where she was, see what's there.

- [Narrator] This is the first time the family has had the courage to return to where Tengetile was bitten.

[family chatters in a foreign language] - [Thea] What do you think happened to her shoes?

[mother speaks in a foreign language] [father speaks in a foreign language] [grass crunching] [birds chirping] [Thea speaks indistinctly] [brush rustling in the wind] [father speaks in a foreign language] Okay, we have- [father speaks in a foreign language] Okay.

[footsteps pattering] [Thea softly sobs] [gentle melancholic music] I think it's just reassurance, just to give them a little bit of something, you know?

They've got nothing.

So you just try and help where you can.

He just said, "Thank you from the bottom of my heart".

[Thea continues softly sobbing] They wanted the shoes to come home.

[gentle melancholic music continues] It's why we do what we do.

[softly chuckles] [gentle melancholic music continues] [birds chiding] [gentle melancholic music continues] [birds chirping] [gentle melancholic music continues] - [Narrator] Thea and Graham are looking for Bugs, one of the resident mambas who is settling back into his home range.

[electronic beeping] - Here we go.

- [Graham] Whoa!

Maybe a bit in this direction?

[electronic beeping continues] [soft quirky music] - [Narrator] Neither of the resident mambas has moved far during the study.

Bugs has remained very close to where he was released, and as a result, is easy to find.

[soft quirky music continues] He hangs out in thick bush around this water hole.

Like most snakes, mambas are good swimmers, and they also like a drink in the heat.

[water gently lapping] Three weeks after his release, Bugs is shedding his skin.

He rubs his head against a rough surface until the skin splits, wriggling his way out of the old one as he goes.

The eye of a snake can't shut.

Instead of an eyelid, they have a transparent scale over the eye, just like a window.

This scale, like all the others, is shed with the old skin.

After checking on the two resident mambas in the study, it's time to look for the two relocated snakes.

[birds chirping] Situpa, meaning six in Siswati, was rescued from room six in the hotel.

He moved locations every day in the first few weeks after release, sometimes traveling a third of a mile a day.

[traffic roars] He's now dangerously close to the main road on the edge of the nature reserve.

[traffic continues roaring] Vehicles are one of the biggest threats to snakes.

Many thousands are killed on roads at this time of year.

[dramatic enigmatic music] [traffic continues roaring] [dramatic enigmatic music continues] [traffic continues roaring] [dramatic enigmatic music continues] Situpa's signal shows him moving toward the sugar cane that surrounds the reserve.

[dramatic enigmatic music continues] Perhaps the relocated mambas are returning to the habitat they are most familiar with?

[dramatic enigmatic music continues] Once the mambas have headed into the cane, it becomes harder and more dangerous to track them.

[birds chirping] [gravel crunching] - [Thea] Hi, Philane.

[Philane speaks indistinctly] Did you find [speaks indistinctly]?

- [Philane] Yeah, [speaks indistinctly] inside the sugar cane.

- [Thea] We're gonna go and have a look-see.

- Oh, okay.

- Okay.

[footsteps pattering] [stalks rustling] [Philane speaks indistinctly] [Philane continues speaking indistinctly] [stalks rustling] - [Graham] Yo, this cane really cuts you, man.

- [Thea] And this time of the day, if it's gonna be anywhere, it's gonna be basking about chest height.

[stalks continue rustling] - [Graham] The signal's getting a lot stronger.

The snake's quite close, but it's really thick in here.

Yeah?

- Yeah, I think it's too dangerous.

It's not worth it, eh?

Hold on.

- Okay, this- - Well, let's call this a day, hey?

- [Graham] Right.

[stalks rustling] - Now, these are our two residents, Bugs and Twiggy, and unfortunately, Twiggy is no more.

She's rest in peace.

The two residents, they seem to have a smaller area that they're moving in.

- Okay.

- All right?

- Khali, which is the only female in the whole study, seems to have a massive home range.

She's been all over the park, and she's found a lovely, little home here at the dam, and for about a month, she's stayed in this area here.

We don't know much about mambas.

There's just an endless amount.

Where do they feed?

What do they eat?

Do they come home?

There's all sorts of things that we can learn.

I think if we could put three years behind this telemetry study, it'll be invaluable.

Not just the mambas, but all snakes.

- We're gonna have to follow these chaps for a while, 'cause, you know- - Time will tell.

But so far, it's looking good.

- [Graham] I mean, they're great snakes.

I mean, they're just awesome snakes.

It's like the great white shark of the snake world.

- [Narrator] It's early in the study, but it seems that the relocated mambas travel a lot for a few weeks, then find a suitable area with good basking and hunting sites where they settle down.

They don't try to return to where they used to live.

It's all reassuring information that Thea can now communicate to the people who live here.

[upbeat cheerful music] [truck engine rumbles] [children chatter indistinctly] To do this, she needs more Swazis, like Philane, who staffs the reptile park.

- [Thea] Philane has such a wonderful way with snakes.

He's incredibly gentle, and he just seems to understand.

- [Philane] Here, 'cause I'm always careful.

- [On-Looker] Oh, here!

Here you go, here you go!

- It's a big mamba.

[on-looker mumbles] a big one.

- Philane is a great role model.

It's very unusual for a Swazi to be out there catching snakes.

[group chatters indistinctly] I don't think there's too many people that can catch a black mamba like Philane can catch it.

[children screaming] [Philane speaks in a foreign language] [children clamoring] Some of the areas we've been to, we must have had 200 people gathering.

I think it's great entertainment value, and I think it's also great education.

- [Narrator] Widespread education about snakes is what they are all ultimately striving for.

- [Philane] The inside of the mouth is black.

[instructor and Philane speak in a foreign language] [Philane speaks indistinctly] - 15 minutes, you're dead.

That is not true.

[Philane speaks in a foreign language] - [Narrator] If the people of Swaziland are going to be able to coexist alongside the deadly black mamba, knowledge will be lifesaving.

Thea and Clifton's work has now been recognized by King Mswati III of Swaziland.

He has given their family some land, where they will work with the local community to build a new nature reserve and a health clinic specializing in the treatment of snake bites.

It will be the first of its kind in Swaziland.

- I think we need to to realize that everything is here for a reason.

Snakes are here for a reason.

They're not serpents who were put on earth to punish people.

They play an important role.

They keep the population of rodents down.

They're absolutely necessary in our lives.

[soft dramatic music] [soft dramatic music continues] - [Narrator] It's early March.

Mamba eggs are now hatching.

Even as newborns, these black mambas have a bite that can kill a human.

They will feed voraciously and grow up fast, from 18 inches to six feet... in their first year.

They seem to be doing well here, which is even more reason for people to learn as much as they can about them.

As summer draws to a close in Swaziland, and the cooler African winter begins, the mambas will slow down a bit, and are less likely to travel very far.

And Thea and Clifton will get a few months respite before snake season begins all over again.

[Clifton grunts] [warthog squeals] [Clifton laughs] - [Clifton] Piggy, piggy, piggy!

Come!

She actually looks nice and clean.

Hey!

- I'll keep going until more people become involved, or until they don't need me anymore, until I've removed all the snakes that are problematic.

[phone rings] Hello, Thea.

Say that again.

Don't go anywhere near it.

Just keep an eye on it, and we'll come as quickly as we can.

No, we're leaving straight away.

Bye.

Let's go.

- Oliver, please get the post- - They found one in somebody's house.

Let's go, let's go!

It'd be nice if we could finish a cup of coffee once.

[truck engine rumbling] This lady was seriously panicking.

Apparently, it's in her bathroom.

[Clifton speaks indistinctly] Interesting enough, the statistics show, that March, that there are more snake bite in March than any other month.

[phone rings] - [Clifton] Ah, no, another one!

[stirring dramatic music] [stirring dramatic music continues] [stirring dramatic music continues] - [Announcer] To learn more about what you've seen on this Nature program, visit pbs.org.

[bright music]