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Patrol Form — confirm patrol

Please complete this form after each patrol.

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Patrol Log

Date	Time	Driver	Passenger	Incident	Description	Extra Info

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Emergency Numbers

SAPS

Fire

Medical

Doctors

Veterinarian

Snakes & Wild Animals

See the Snakes tab for species info and snakebite first aid.

Other

Making an Arrest — important guidelines

Arrest

• Don't arrest or chase anyone alone — there must be at least 2 people.
• You must keep them under surveillance once arrested.
• When arresting someone you must give them a reason immediately as to why you are arresting them.
• Some people may be armed — you can only keep them under surveillance and call the police to do the arrest.
• Important to arrest someone with another person present so that they can be a witness. If it is only you and the arrestee, then it is your word against theirs.
• Carry thick cable ties while doing patrols — the thin ones can be broken easily.
• It is best to also cable tie their feet so they cannot run away.
• Once arrested you must call the police and give them a detailed report.
• If you arrest someone in a building, you can move them out the house but must keep them on the premises where it happened.
• Don't use a weapon such as a hammer — can be seen as assault.
• Pepper spray does not work on someone who is on drugs.
• If there is an assault case, make sure you have backup — they will often both turn on you when you try to arrest one of them.
• If there is a person inside a building, you must wait for the police. You do not know how many people there are or if they have weapons. Keep the building surrounded so they cannot escape.
• Police can ask any person to assist with an arrest — if you refuse, you can be arrested for refusing to help.

Searching

• When searching a person, more than one person must do the search, and search properly.
• If a person does not give permission to be searched, detain them and let the police come and do the search.
• IMPORTANT: a man searches a man, and a woman searches a woman.
• The search must be done in a private place to avoid claims that their human rights were infringed.
• If an item is found on a person, keep it in a separate bag from the person and keep an eye on it.

Other

• If there is imminent and ongoing danger, use the appropriate force necessary.
• The rules for self-defense weapons apply if you use such to defend your or another person's life.
• Make sure to arrest the person who is threatening, not the person being threatened.
• Can shoot a gas pistol, but not in the face.
• If you come across an accident scene, you must stop and stand there until police arrive to secure the scene.
• Do not post any photos of suspects or pending cases on social media — this can jeopardise the case and is illegal.
• You can send photos on the Farm Watch group if you are looking for / monitoring someone.
• Can send ID numbers to Sgt. Goodwin of new workers to ask for "clearance".
• Video footage is admissible in court and can be used to cover yourself when making an arrest.
• Patrol badges must have ID photos on them that are updated every two years.

Drug user symptoms

• Dagga — slow and laugh at everything.
• Mandrax — floating and doesn't focus on you.
• Tik — very active and doesn't get tired; often has rotten teeth, very aggressive.

Snake Removal — Call Gerrie

Call Gerrie to safely remove a snake from a house, yard or farm building. Never try to catch or kill a snake yourself — rather keep people and pets away from the area and phone him.

Venomous Snakes of the Area

The Western Cape has around 40 snake species — most are harmless. These are the dangerous ones most likely to be seen on farms and along Route 62.

Cape Cobra (Geelslang / Koperkapel)

• Colour varies widely — yellow, speckled, brown, or almost black. Often confused with the Mole Snake.
• Neurotoxic venom — one of the most dangerous snakes in South Africa. Bites can affect breathing.
• Nervous and quick to raise a hood and strike if cornered, but will usually retreat if given space.

Puff Adder

• Thick-bodied with a distinctive pale chevron pattern. Relies on camouflage and often won't move even when approached.
• Cytotoxic venom — causes severe pain, swelling and tissue damage. Responsible for more bites in South Africa than any other snake, mostly because people step on them.

Boomslang

• Large eyes, slender body, usually found in trees and bushes. Colour varies from green to brown to black.
• Haemotoxic venom (affects blood clotting) — bites are rare since it's shy and rear-fanged, but can be fatal if untreated.

Rinkhals

• A spitting cobra — can spray venom at the eyes from a distance. Often plays dead when threatened.
• Neurotoxic and cytotoxic venom. Spat venom causes severe eye pain and can damage eyesight if not rinsed out immediately.

Berg Adder

• Small, found in rocky, mountainous areas. Bites are uncommon.
• Mild neurotoxic venom — can cause temporary loss of taste and smell, drooping eyelids and blurred vision, but is rarely life-threatening.

Snakebite — What To Do

• Keep the person calm and still — moving around and panic speed up how fast venom spreads through the body.
• Move everyone well away from the snake. Do not try to catch or kill it — a photo from a safe distance helps with identification, but it's not worth the risk.
• Remove rings, watches and tight clothing near the bite before swelling starts.
• Wash the bite gently with soap and water if available.
• Keep the bitten limb still and roughly at heart level (a little elevation can reduce pain).
• Note the time of the bite — this helps hospital staff track how the case is progressing.
• Get the person to a hospital as quickly and calmly as possible. Phone ahead if you can so they know a snakebite case is on the way.
• Be ready to perform CPR / rescue breathing if the person stops breathing — this is a real risk with cobra and mamba bites.

What NOT To Do

• Do not cut the wound or try to suck out the venom — this does not work and causes more harm.
• Do not apply a tourniquet.
• Do not apply ice or heat to the bite.
• Do not apply a pressure bandage over a suspected Puff Adder, Boomslang or other cytotoxic (swelling-type) bite — bandaging can worsen local tissue damage. Pressure bandaging is only for confirmed neurotoxic bites (e.g. mamba) and should only be done if trained.
• Do not give the person alcohol, coffee, or any other stimulant.
• Do not give aspirin or anti-inflammatory medication — these can increase bleeding risk.
• Do not rub in traditional remedies, Condy's crystals, or any substance on the wound.
• Do not waste time trying to identify or catch the snake if it delays getting to hospital.

Many bites are "dry bites" with little or no venom injected, and most people who reach a hospital recover fully. Still — treat every snakebite as a medical emergency and get to hospital immediately.

Scorpion Sting — Emergency Helpline

Call immediately for any sting suspected to be from a thicktail scorpion, or any sting on a child, elderly person, or anyone with health conditions.

How to Tell If It's Dangerous

Southern Africa has around 150 scorpion species. Very few are dangerous, and there's a simple rule of thumb to tell them apart.

• Thick tail + thin, slender pincers — this is the dangerous group (Parabuthus / "thicktail" scorpions). Treat any sting from one of these as a medical emergency, especially in children, the elderly, or anyone with health conditions.
• Thin tail + large, thick pincers — this is the "burrowing scorpion" group. Their sting is usually just painful, like a bad bee sting, and not medically dangerous.

This rule of thumb works for the vast majority of scorpions in the region — but if in doubt, treat it as dangerous and seek medical advice.

Scorpions of the Area

Cape Thicktail Scorpion (Parabuthus capensis)

• Medium-sized (around 10cm), pale orange or yellow, often with a darker tail tip. Common across the Western and Northern Cape, including Karoo areas.
• Dangerous — sting is very painful and can cause serious symptoms. Medical treatment recommended.

Granulated Thicktail Scorpion (Parabuthus granulatus)

• One of the largest and most dangerous scorpions in the region, up to 18cm with tail extended.
• Very dangerous — the most venomous scorpion in South Africa. Deaths have occurred, mostly in children who did not reach hospital in time. Antivenom is available.

Burrowing Scorpions (Opistophthalmus species)

• Large, powerful pincers with a thin tail. Dark brown to black, often found under rocks, logs, and in shallow burrows in sandy soil.
• The most commonly encountered scorpions on farms and around homes. Sting is painful but not medically dangerous.

Scorpion Sting — What To Do

• Keep the person calm and still, and keep the stung limb immobilised — this slows how fast the venom spreads.
• Wash the area with soap and water.
• A cool (not ice-cold) compress can help with pain — avoid packing it in ice, as this can make the pain worse on already-sensitive nerves.
• Paracetamol can help with pain if available. A local anaesthetic at the sting site, given by a medical professional, is the most effective pain relief.
• If you can safely identify it as a thicktail scorpion (thick tail, thin pincers), or you're not sure, get the person to a hospital as soon as possible — don't wait for symptoms to worsen.
• Watch for serious symptoms: severe pain spreading beyond the sting, difficulty breathing or swallowing, drooling, blurred vision, restlessness, muscle twitching, or a racing heart. These need urgent hospital care.
• Children, the elderly, and anyone stung multiple times are at higher risk and should be seen by a doctor even if the sting seems mild at first.

What NOT To Do

• Do not cut the wound or try to suck out the venom.
• Do not apply a tourniquet.
• Do not pack the area in ice.
• Do not give sedatives, sleeping tablets, or opioid painkillers to a restless child — this can worsen breathing problems. Rather get them to hospital.
• Do not rub in traditional remedies or any substance on the sting site.
• Do not assume it's "just a scorpion" and wait it out if the sting is from a suspected thicktail species, or if the person stung is a child.