Snake City
From deadly black mambas in wardrobes to cobras in factories, streetwise snake-catchers Simon and Siouxsie put their lives on the line to catch these deadly invaders – by hand.
Genre: Documentary
Cast:Simon Keys , Siouxsie Gillett , Nadine Keys , Abdi Hussein
S1.E1 ∙ Python Ambush
Its spring and South Africas east coast city of Durban is under siege from a plague of deadly reptiles. After six months of hibernation, thousands of snakes breach the city walls in search for food and a mate.After a quiet winter, snake bounty hunters, Simon and Nadine Keys are desperate for work. A dive club has just returned from a recent trip up the coast and something has come back with them. Simon thinks it may be a Black Mamba and puts the dive club on lock down.Nadine receives a call about a large snake spotted inside an office car park. With over 50 vehicles to check, its not going to be easy. Yet, hidden in the shadows they discover one of Africas most lethal snakes, whose venom can dissolve human flesh. Will they be able to catch it before hundreds of office workers flood into the garage to drive home?Simon and Nadine invite us back to their home, in the heart of the city, where they store, nurture and rehabilitate the injured refugees including highly venomous mambas, 15ft pythons, spitting cobras, tarantulas and scorpions. Simon reveals how his true passion for snakes started and the horrors that hes witnessed over the years.As the city heats up so do the snake calls. A construction team, working on an underground water pipe, spot something disappear into the tunnel and they are too terrified to continue working. There is no power, its pitch black and Simon and Nadine have no idea whats down there. Trapped far beneath the city, things turn for the worse as Simon is hit with a jet of venom to the face. If he cannot remove the venom quickly he could lose his eyesight.There is one snake thats strikes fear into the heart of the city, a snake so deadly it can kill a man in 15 minutes. A call is put through from the police. A Black Mamba is spotted hiding under someones bed and its huge. If the police reports are true this could be the biggest Mamba Simon has ever faced. The house is evacuated and no one dares enter, except Simon and Nadine. In this game there are no second chances.
S1.E2 ∙ Spitting Mad Cobra
South Africas east coast city of Durban is hotting up as the most snake active time of the entire year moves into full throttle. Simon and Nadine are swamped with calls, and hopeful that Mike, a friend and fellow snake-catcher in training, will prove a useful ally in their deadly deployments.Mike has just arrived from the U.K. on his annual visit to this snake haven, where he hopes to learn first hand what it takes to be a fully-fledged snake handler. Within 5 minutes of stepping off the plane he gets his chance as Simon, Nadine and Mike head through to a call from a rubbish-removal team whose daily duties have come to a halt after spotting a Black mamba amongst the trash.Calls are coming through thick and fast and next Mike and Simon head out to a local residents home to find a massive Burmese python sunning itself by their pool. This snake is strong and Mike may have bitten himself off more than he can chew. How will he handle this behemoth?Simon & Mike find themselves moving quickly from one residence to the next, when they get another call out for a possible Green mamba sighting by yet another pool. The heat may be bringing out all the local wildlife to these urban watering holes, and the guys soon find themselves face to face with an angry female in defense modeonly to discover she may not be travelling alone.Nadine & Mike are left to fend for themselves in Durban, as Simon nervously boards a flight to Joburg to meet venom expert Mike Perry, who will show Simon the ropes before he attempts his first Black mamba milking. After checking in some highly unusual luggage, Simon and Nadine part ways, with Nadine on edge thinking of what Simons about to do, and Simon hesitant yet excited to meet the man with 30 years of experience dealing with deadly, venomous snakes, for a lesson in mamba milking 101.With Simon out of town, Nadine calls in the help of local snake expert and reptile park owner, Neville, to a callout for an unidentified brown snake held up in a makeshift bathroom wall. Stuck literally between rock and a hard place, Neville is in real danger as he pries open the wall with a crowbar. The tension builds to boiling point when he goes in for a closer look. A look that may be his last.
S1.E3 ∙ Attack of the Black Mambas
Its summer and the snake season is kicking off in South Africas east coast city of Durban. The heat and humidity unleashes hundreds of deadly reptiles and snake bounty hunters Simon and Nadine cant keep up with all the calls. A father is in a blind panic. His kids are on their way back from school and theres a 3-meter Black Mamba hiding in their garden. Simon has never seen a Black Mamba this huge and catching this monster will be no easy task. Where did this huge snake come from and how did it get into the city?The Fire Department needs help, but not for a fire, for a snake. They manage to trap the intruder in someones living room and everyone is terrified. They have no idea what the snake is. Its up to Simon and Nadine to get the situation under control. Snakes pay the bills and the extra bit of cash gives Simon and Nadine the opportunity to indulge in another of their favorite past times, getting inked. Simons tattoo addiction started at an early age and now he is over 95% tattoos. New tattoos take about a week to fully heal and he'll have to protect his wound from any infections, including snake venom, but in their line of work that might not be so easy.As the city heats up so do the snake calls. A nanny is playing with the children when she spots a huge brown snake in the garden. She is petrified for the childrens safety. From the description it sounds like this could be a Spitting Cobra, one of the most difficult snakes to catch. If Simon or Nadine gets venom in their eyes, they could go blind. Simon receives a call hes been waiting for 3 months. The Green Mamba eggs are about to hatch. This is a once in a lifetime opportunity so Simon and Nadine cannot miss this. Will all of the newborns make it? Its going to be a long night. Simon and Nadine want to find out how the snakes are entering the city, so they plan to insert a microchip under the skin of a Black Mamba and track its movements. But for this they'll need help.
S2.E1 ∙ Mamba in My Closet
Simon and Siouxsie confront a deadly forest cobra hiding high up in a tree. The forest cobra is an excellent climber, and its bite can lead to muscle paralysis in minutes. Then they respond to a call about a black mamba that has made its way into a man's home. Black mambas can be aggressive when cornered. Their venom affects both the heart and the nervous system, swiftly leading to death if you don't get to the hospital right away.
S2.E2 ∙ Panic in the Streets
Simon and Siouxsie are woken up in the early hours of the morning with a call from panicked residents: a very large snake is slithering around their village, eating their livestock. There is only one snake that is capable of taking on large mammals in this area - the southern African python. A big snake like that, capable of killing a small child, is considered to be a huge threat to a community. Will the snake catchers get there in time?
S2.E3 ∙ Ghost Snake
Traveling from one side of the city to the other, Simon and Siouxsie respond to cries for help as snakes wander into the wrong places. The snakes are everywhere. At one man's home, a black snake is seen entering a dark room, but quickly disappears. The snake could be anywhere, and the situation is far from ideal. They search with torchlight, but something is not right, and Simon has a funny feeling that something is about to go very wrong.
S2.E4 ∙ Bed of Snakes
It is midsummer in Durban, South Africa, and for snake-catchers Simon Keys and Siouxsie Gillett, the phone calls are stacking up as people from all walks of life are encountering dangerous and deadly snakes. They receive a call about a giant lizard that snuck into a garden and got into a fight with a dog. But by the time Simon and Siouxsie get there, the battle is lost for this monitor lizard, and it has suffered severe injuries.
S2.E5 ∙ Snakes on a Train
Before sunrise, Simon & Siouxie get an unusual call - snake on a train! Armed with grabsticks and flashlights, they run alongside the train in the dark, jumping over trenches and signaling gear to figure out how to safely rid the train of the snake before passengers board. Little do they know that the snake they're looking for has deadly venom that, drop for drop, is even more potent than the venom of a black mamba.
S2.E6 ∙ Into the Snake Pit
Simon & Siouxsie are faced with a tricky situation when a woman spots a large snake slithering around in her garage, but loses sight of it. From her description, the snake sounds like it could be a black mamba, but Simon and Siouxsie can't confirm without getting up close and personal with the potentially deadly intruder. If it is a black mamba, the slightest mistake could be fatal, and without access to anti-venom a bite will result in death.
S3.E1 ∙ Deadliest Catch
Catching snakes is one of the most dangerous careers in the world as every capture could potentially be fatal. For streetwise snake catcher Simon Keys and sassy herpetologist girlfriend, Siouxsie Gillett it is about capturing these snakes and relocating them into a more suitable environment, but the risks are high. The couple received a call about Africa's most feared snake, the black mamba.
S3.E2 ∙ Recipe for Disaster
It's snake season in Durban, South Africa. Snake catcher Simon Keys and his girlfriend, Siouxsie Gillett, rush across this city every summer in response to calls from clients with snake problems. Simon and Siouxsie receive a terrified call from a woman who spotted a large brown snake in her kitchen. After a tense search, Simon removes the oven to come face to face with an enormous black mamba.
S3.E3 ∙ Cobra in the Kitchen
Snake Catcher Simon Keys and his girlfriend, Siouxsie Gillett, respond to urgent calls from clients with unwanted slithering houseguests. After getting a call from a family who spotted a snake behind their kitchen cupboards, Simon and Siouxsie rush over there to find a lethal spitting cobra has made itself at home.
S3.E4 ∙ Hiss of Death
Coming face to face with some of the world's deadliest snakes is all in a day's work for snake catcher Simon Keys and his girlfriend, Siouxsie Gillett. The duo receives a call from a man who is certain he has spotted two large black mambas in his chicken coop. The situation turns dangerous when the snake spits its venom in Siouxsie's face as they try to capture it.
S3.E5 ∙ Country Club Killer
Snake catcher Simon Keys and his girlfriend, Siouxsie Gillett, receive a call when a huge snake is spotted in the swimming pool of a country club. When they arrive, they spot the snake curled up in the shallow end, and it's one of the biggest black mambas they have ever seen. Simon and Siouxsie jump into the pool to catch it, but it is so large and powerful that they struggle to pin it down.
S3.E6 ∙ The Cape Crusaders
Snake catcher Simon Keys and his girlfriend, Siouxsie Gillett, receive an unusual call from snake catchers in Cape Town, South Africa. Wildfires have erupted around the city, forcing the wildlife to take refuge in people's homes and gardens. Panicked calls increase as deadly snakes seek shelter from the fire. Simon and Siouxsie will be faced with snakes they have never caught before.
S5.E1 ∙ Storm of Snakes
This time on Snake City, Simon and Siouxsie brave a tropical storm to rescue a black mamba - one slip and they're dead! A baby spitting cobra launches a sneaky attack on Siouxsie and almost blinds her, while a massive spitter and a tiny dog come into deadly confrontation. A green mamba takes the whole crew to new heights, and Simon and Siouxsie play 'pass the python' in creepy crawly heaven.
S5.E2 ∙ Hot & Bothered
This time on Snake City a huge black mamba is trapped inside a dark, cramped roof and Simon has to poke his head into dark holes to find it - risking a bite to the head! A man calls about mating whip snakes in his garden, but they end up returning to the same house three times to catch four different snakes!
S5.E3 ∙ Mamba Mama
In this episode a black mamba is trapped inside a couch in a tiny room with Simon and Siouxsie just inches away from being bitten at any time! Simon has his hands full when he realizes a green mamba he's about to rescue is heavily pregnant. A spitting cobra proves elusive, and they discover a black mamba that's been sharing a bedroom with a man for what could possibly have been days!
S5.E4 ∙ Tunnel of Doom
Simon and Sioux mud wrestle a 12ft black mamba trapped inside a storm water drain. A superfast whip snake loses its tail at a scrapyard and all the crew must help destroy a driveway to remove a deadly spitting cobra. A new homeowner has an unwanted visitor and Sioux gets dirty flushing out a forest cobra from a toilet.
S5.E5 ∙ Humungosaur
Simon and Sioux have a close call with a black mamba. A family is plagued by Mozambique spitting cobras; their 6-year-old girl was bitten in the face by one and now there's another in their house! Sioux gets a nasty surprise as a whip snake bites her on the arm and won't let go. A huge forest cobra haunts a petrified Durban resident and Simon catches it with his bare hands!
S5.E6 ∙ Hiss in the Night
Simon and Siouxsie hunt for a black mamba in a pile of tiles by torchlight during summer storms. When the skies clear, Sioux gets tangled up in a deadly game of tug-of-war with a feisty forest cobra. Then the duo look for an unidentified green snake at a funeral home, but Simon fears heights more than he does death, and he has to face those fears to catch a green mamba high up in a tree.
