A security guard committed snake suicide by inciting his own deadly snakes to inflict fatal bites on him after being arrested by police in South Africa.
Marius Joubert, 28, died in excruciating pain after his illegally smuggled Indochina Spitting Cobra and a second snake injected deadly venom into his hand and wrist after putting his hand in their tanks.
The snake trader was keenly aware that because his cobra had been smuggled into South Africa from Thailand, 5,500 miles away, there was no anti-venom to save his life.
The armed security guard realized that the police were about to uncover his illegal business of importing illegal animals which could land him 25 years in prison.
So, rather than face a long stay in a hellish prison, he sentenced himself to death, even though the police were present at his home.
Marius Joubert, 28, died in agony after his Indochina spitting cobra and a second snake injected deadly venom into his hand and wrist after putting his hand in their tanks.
This is the Indochina spitting cobra that Marius Joubert used to commit suicide by putting his hand in its tank to receive a fatal bite in South Africa.
This married guard, considered by his bosses to be an “exemplary employee”, had been detained for several days after being arrested for burglary and theft in his hometown.
Police in Hennenman, 160km north of Bloemfontein, had held him for questioning and were about to take him home to search him for possible proceeds of crime.
He realized they would find his huge menagerie in the house where he lived with his wife Chimonet, 26, and that serious charges under the Wildlife Act would follow.
Officers took him in a marked car to the corner terraced house, unaware that a spare room, bedroom, living room and entrance hall were filled with more than 60 snakes.
They were shocked to also discover a crocodile, iguanas, monitor lizards, tarantulas, hedgehogs and ferrets, all warmed by solar energy, special heating pads and exhaust fans.
It did not seem unusual for the officers to take his handcuffs so he could reveal stolen goods when he asked if he could feed the creatures he said were starving to death.
What they didn’t expect was that he then used his own snakes to kill himself.
A source close to the investigation said: “Joubert knew that sooner or later after his arrest, the police would go to his house and find all these creatures illegally detained.”
“And he knew that the offenses he would then be charged with would be much more serious and that many of the snakes and animals he owned could put him behind bars for 25 years.”
Pictured: A file photo of an Indochina spitting cobra, the same species that bit Marius Joubert after intentionally putting his hand in a tank.
South African viper rescued from Marius Joubert’s illegal snake collection
A young two-foot Nile crocodile found at Marius Joubert’s home
“He asked if he could feed his snakes and once the handcuffs were removed he put his hands in two cages and was bitten by two snakes on the wrist and then restrained.
“We know that one of the snakes that bit him was an Indochina spitting cobra that would have injected him with a ton of venom, but we don’t know what the other snake was,” the source added.
“An ambulance was called but Joubert refused treatment and said he would be fine. He was taken back to the police station and warned of further animal-related charges.
“In the meantime, the paperwork for burglary and theft had been completed and he was about to be released on caution until his court date, then he began to appear very ill,” they continued.
“Then he collapsed and was rushed by another ambulance to Bongani Hospital in Welkom, but as the spitting cobra is not native to South Africa, there was no anti-venom.”
“The venom is both a neurotoxin and a cytotoxin, meaning it shut down his lungs and suffocated him, and also caused severe bleeding and destroyed his body tissues.”
“It was an extremely painful and horrific way to end his life and it took about 9 hours from the bite to collapse and another 3 hours for the snake’s venom to kill him,” he said. he declares.
Captain Stephen Thakeng of the Free State Provincial Police confirmed that Joubert was taken to his home on Easter Saturday, March 30, to further investigate the criminal charges.
He confirmed that his officers reported that Joubert had put his hand in two of the cages and that his actions were deliberate and that he had intended to be bitten.
He said the suspect was taken back to the police station and charged and was set to be released pending his appearance at Hennenman Magistrate’s Court on April 5.
Captain Thakeng added: “We were not aware of any venomous snakes on the property when we went to the address, but once inside he opened two cages and put his hand inside. interior.
“It was deliberate and he was bitten twice on his hands and later died in hospital.”
A police investigation was launched to determine where the exotic animals came from and who the deceased man’s customers were.
An investigation was also opened into his violent death.
The security guard was facing multiple burglary and theft charges dating back to July after a private investigator presented evidence against him, leading to his first arrest.
The source said: “Whether he convinced the police that the snake was not venomous or not I don’t know, but he didn’t seem in distress until he suddenly collapsed.
“But he knew the snakes that bit him and he knew there would only be one way out.” It was clearly suicide by snake. It was just a waiting game until the venom killed him
A monitor lizard rescued from the house where Marius Joubert was bitten by a snake
“He was accused of smuggling exotic creatures without a license and keeping them in cruel conditions and faced multiple sentences of 25 years each.”
“It appears he wanted to take another route and his spitting cobra provided that.” There is no blame on the police who could not have suspected what he would do.
“The policeman called the hospital later to check on him and was told he was dead,” he said.
The Bloemfontein Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals was called and found 70 illegally kept animals, mostly snakes, and called in snake removal experts.
Stephanus Fourie and David Hayter removed 62 snakes, including a variety of exotic and local cobras, mambas, anacondas, pythons, rattlesnakes, puffadders and vipers.
Besides several deadly rinkhal snakes, there were also exotic hedgehogs and ferrets, a Nile crocodile, African bullfrogs, iguanas, Nile and rock monitor lizards and 3 sugar gliders.
They also carefully removed the two exotic Indochina spitting cobras and said the one that bit Joubert was a full-grown adult, nearly 5 feet long and very dangerous.
Bloemfontein SPCA chief inspector Reinet Meyer said: “The scenes inside the house were like a horror film with more than 70 wild animals, all badly neglected.
“The animals were all taken by the SPCA to the Johannesburg Wildlife Veterinary Hospital by two snake catchers and are being examined and treated.
“We hope, over time, to cure as many native species as possible and return them to their natural habitat, but unfortunately foreign exotic animals will need to be euthanized.
“Our policy is not to house animals in zoos or captivity, but only in the wild.
“A number of animals and reptiles have tragically already succumbed to hunger and dehydration and are very neglected and in poor health and will need a lot of care.
“This man would have had a lot more trouble with the charges we brought for animal cruelty and keeping animals without a license than he would have with the theft charges.”
Bloemfontein SPCA chief inspector Reinet Meyer (pictured) said: “The scenes inside the house were like a horror film with more than 70 wild animals, all severely neglected.”
“He deliberately put his hand in two cages and was bitten twice. We know one was the Indochina spitting cobra, but we don’t know what the other type of snake was.
“It is clear that he wanted to kill himself through his snakes, but I would have preferred to see him in court because what he did to these animals and the way he kept them was completely cruel.
“Joubert was truly cowardly in killing himself rather than admitting what he did to these animals. It’s a shame that so many people have to be euthanized because of him,” she said.
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