Teen wrestles dog from python
2007-12-18 22:25
Buks Viljoen
Malalane - Like a real-life Crocodile Dundee, 18-year-old Elske Strauss took on a huge python with just a stick - because the five-and-a-half metre reptile was busy swallowing her darling (pregnant) dachshund, Lilly!
And thanks to Elske's bravery and mouth-to-mouth resuscitation, Lilly survived the ordeal and gave birth to seven pups last week.
"I'm dead scared of snakes. God gave me strength that day," the born-and-bred farmgirl said.
The drama involving Lilly and the reptile began on October 30 in a stream next to their farmhouse on Strathmore farm.
Elske, who'd just finished writing matric at Nelspruit High School, was watching TV when she heard her dog whining. She ran out and saw that a python had got hold of her dog in the shallow water of a stream that flows past their house, some three metres away.
"The giant python's body was already curled around my dog, four times. Lilly's head was inside its jaws, and the reptile was starting to swallow her," said Elske.
The only weapon she could find was a stick. "I hit the snake on its head again, and again, and again."
When the snake refused to let go, she jumped into the water, lifted it out and threw it down on the embankment.
"I screamed and hit the snake again. At one stage it spat out Lilly's head and took aim at me."
The moment the snake loosened its grip, the teen grabbed the dog.
"Lilly's tongue was deep blue. She wasn't breathing and her eyes were rolled back."
She put her mouth over her limp dog's mouth and started giving it mouth-to-mouth resuscitation.
"After four of five breaths, the dog coughed and water started coming out of its mouth," Elske said.
After a visit to the vet, an injection and lots of love, Lilly was soon back at the farm and for the past few weeks has been romping with Billy, the father of her pups.
Just more than a week ago Lilly had seven pups, six of which have survived.
Elske's father, Flip Strauss, said several of his dogs had disappeared on the farm. "We suspected that it might be snakes, but I never thought that a python would venture that near the house."
Stauss said their dogs regularly swam in the stream next to the house to cool off in the stifling Lowveld heat. The snake was later killed by farmworkers.
- Beeld