BUSINESS activities in the Lusaka Central Business District yesterday pressed the pause button after a highly venomous snake decided it was tired of the bush life and opted for a city tour along Malasha Road.
The unexpected visitor, later identified as a Black-necked Spitting Cobra, slithered confidently through the busy street onlookers and triggered an imprompt and chaotic run-for-your-life marathon in all directions while some brave citizens chose the ancient Zambian method of problem-solving, stone throwing.
Witnesses said the cobra, clearly unimpressed by the missile-throwing crowd, made a calculated decision to seek asylum in a parked Isuzu vehicle, where it vanished like a political lawmaker who had just won an election.
For hours, Malasha Road resembled a scene from a low-budget wildlife documentary, with panic, fear and wild speculation filling the air as people debated whether the snake was still in town or had turned into a real person waiting for the crowd to disperse.
Initial efforts to locate the reptile proved futile, forcing some onlookers to retreat while the snake maintained its silence inside the auto mobile.
However, calm was later restored after Snake Safety Zambia was called in to handle the matter professionally, unlike the earlier rock-throwing brigade.
The Isuzu was eventually driven to a workshop where it was lifted and thoroughly checked from underneath.
After nearly two hours of hide-and-seek, with the cobra repositioning itself every time rescuers got close, the snake was finally found chilling in the bumper.
The cobra was safely captured and secured, bringing an end to the dramatic interruptions in the CBD.
“After about 2 hours of the snake moving around each time we got close, we could finally catch and secure it,” Snake Safety Zambia stated.
Snake Safety Zambia has since thanked members of the public who alerted them and assisted, noting that despite the chaos, no injuries were recorded.
By nightfall, Malasha Road returned to normal, minus the snake.
By George Musonda and picture by Salim Dawood
Kalemba January 3, 2025
