Snakes on a pitch

From The Sun newspaper in England:

ENGLAND'S South African World Cup base is surrounded by some of the world's deadliest snakes.

Killer pythons, spitting cobras, puff adders and black mambas hunt around Bafokeng Sports Campus in Rustenburg.

The medical unit has been stocked with vials of anti-venom in case players are bitten. Pitches will be checked before sessions and the millionaire stars, who arrive for the five-week contest on June 3, will be banned from fields after dark.

And there are lions roaming the street and be careful of the deadly scorpions under the bed and watch out for the baboons that can come walking into your hotel room at any time. I lived in South Africa for about 23 years and the only poisonous snake I saw on the loose was in a game park miles from the nearest football field.

Local herdsman Charles Ndaba, 58, said he has seen dozens of puff adders.
And rancher Matshana spotted a 20ft python by the hotel.
He said: "I was able to back off and get away."

Methinks they were having some fun with the gullible reporter. South Africans like to tell stories and the more gullible the listener, the more interesting the story will be.