South African 'green' police find venomous snakes

0 Comments | AFP, May, 2007

JOHANNESBURG (AFP) — South African environmental inspectors reportedly found 10 venomous snakes mailed into the country in video casette containers among other parcels.

According to the SAPA news agency, investigators seized a package at a Johannesburg post office and found "extremely venomous snakes" in it.

"There is no anti-venom for these snakes so if anyone had been bitten, that would have been the end," it quoted spokesman Jacques du Toit as saying.

The posted snakes were three albino monocle cobras from southern Asia, three Arabian or Palestinian saw-scaled vipers, two Nubian spitting cobras and two taipans.

Taipans, a sub-species usually found in Papua New Guinea, are considered to be the most venomous.

The intended recipient of the...