EXERCISE · EXERCISE · EXERCISEFiction framing. Procedures are real.
Calder County Office of Emergency Management DRY RUN · Tabletop Exercise Program

DRY RUN 02 · MAMBA · PROCEDURE SHEET

What to do if a black mamba bites you

SHORT ANSWERPROCEDURE · SOURCED

Call emergency services and get to a hospital, even if you feel fine. Move at least 5 m away from the snake and don't try to catch or kill it. Keep still. Take off rings, watches and anything tight near the bite. For a confirmed black mamba or Cape cobra: pressure bandage (50–70 mmHg) from the bite toward the heart, plus a splint. Don't cut, suck, pump, ice or use a tourniquet. No alcohol, aspirin or ibuprofen. If breathing stops, give rescue breaths: one every six seconds for an adult.4510

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Thumbnail for DRY RUN 02: A Black Mamba Just Bit You. You Have Maybe an Hour

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DRY RUN 02 · 6:17 · CHAPTERS

A Black Mamba Just Bit You. You Have Maybe an Hour

  1. 0:00 The bite
  2. 0:30 The table and the clock
  3. 0:49 Decision 1 · Back Away or Get It
  4. 1:13 Decision 2 · Cut and Suck or Hands Off
  5. 1:45 Exhibit A · Snake oil
  6. 2:13 Decision 3 · Belt or Bandage
  7. 2:26 Exhibit B · The ranger's belt
  8. 3:07 Exhibit C · Know your snake
  9. 3:21 Decision 4 · Stay Still or Run
  10. 3:50 Decision 5 · Brandy or Nothing
  11. 4:19 Decision 6 · Breathe or Wait
  12. 5:00 Decision 7 · One Vial or As Many
  13. 5:31 Back to Pienaar
  14. 5:44 The real-time run
  15. 5:56 Your slip

Why a mamba bite is about breathing

Black mamba venom is strongly neurotoxic. It doesn't go after the heart. It goes after the muscles you breathe with. Breathing trouble can start within half an hour, and nerve signs usually show up somewhere between fifteen minutes and two hours after the bite.123

Early signs reported in case reports include tingling lips, a strange taste in the mouth, drooping eyelids and trouble swallowing.1415

That is why the procedure looks the way it does: slow the venom down, keep the airway safe, get to antivenom, and if breathing fails, breathe for the person until a hospital can.34

This sheet covers black mamba bites in sub-Saharan Africa, following the African Snakebite Institute. North American rattlesnakes and other pit vipers are treated differently: no pressure bandage.13

Tabletop model of a savanna path with a pawn, a grey-brown snake miniature and an exercise clock reading T+00:00
TABLE · SHAFT B · SAFETIES SET

The procedure: stuck in an elevator, what to do

  1. Move away from the snake

    Get at least 5 meters away. Don't try to catch or kill it, not even a dead one. Take a photo only if you can do it safely, from a distance.45

  2. Call emergency services now

    Don't wait for symptoms. Every suspected mamba bite goes to a hospital urgently, because breathing can stop.45

  3. Keep still

    Keep the person calm and still. Splint the limb. Carry them to transport if you can. Don't let them drive themselves: they can get dizzy or faint.4105

  4. Take off anything tight

    Rings, watches, bracelets and tight clothing near the bite come off before swelling starts. On a bitten ankle, that includes a tight boot.4105

  5. Pressure bandage and splint (mamba or Cape cobra only)

    For a confirmed black mamba or Cape cobra bite, wrap a pressure bandage firmly (50–70 mmHg) from the bite toward the heart, add a splint, and leave it on until hospital. Never use it on cytotoxic bites such as a puff adder.410

  6. Don't cut, suck, pump, ice or tie it off

    No cutting, no sucking, no suction pump, no ice or heat, no arterial tourniquet. A 2004 study found a suction pump removed 0.04% of mock venom.457

  7. Nothing by mouth

    No alcohol, aspirin or ibuprofen. Once swallowing gets hard, give nothing by mouth. If they vomit, turn them onto their side.5310

  8. If breathing stops, breathe for them

    Call emergency services, then give rescue breaths: one gentle breath every six seconds for an adult, with a mask if you have one, watching the chest rise. The African Snakebite Institute says chest compressions are not required for snakebite. Follow the dispatcher.4

  9. At the hospital: polyvalent antivenom, as much as it takes

    Mamba bites often need ten or more vials of polyvalent antivenom, and severe cases twenty or more, plus breathing support while the paralysis lasts.1314

Savanna path from eye level with the command BANDAGE. SPLINT.
REAL-TIME RUN · CORRECT ORDER

The three decisions

A IS USUALLY THE MOVIE ANSWER

INJECT 01-1 · DECISION 1CALDER CO.

“A black mamba just bit you on the ankle. It's still right there in the grass. Your hand wants a stick.”

ABACK AWAYBGET IT
IF B · GET IT
OUTCOME: BITTEN AGAIN

A cornered mamba strikes repeatedly. Two bites is not a discount.1

IF A · BACK AWAY
OUTCOME: MOVED AWAY · ONE BITE

Back off five meters or more. The black mamba is shy and quick to escape. Don't catch or kill it; take a photo only if it's safe.145

▶ Watch June explain it (0:48)

INJECT 01-2 · DECISION 2CALDER CO.

“Minute one. Two small marks. Your instinct wants a knife, your mouth, or a suction pump.”

ACUT & SUCKBHANDS OFF
IF A · CUT & SUCK
OUTCOME: SAME VENOM · NEW WOUND

The African Snakebite Institute says don't cut and don't suck. In a 2004 study a suction pump removed 0.04% of the mock venom. That's not first aid. That's a souvenir.47

IF B · HANDS OFF
OUTCOME: STILL ON THE CLOCK · CORRECT

Hands off the wound. Take off rings, the watch and anything tight near the bite, including the boot.4510

▶ Watch June explain it (1:30)

INJECT 01-3 · DECISION 3CALDER CO.

“Minute three. Your belt is right there. Every movie uses the belt.”

ABELTBBANDAGE
IF A · BELT
OUTCOME: LIMB AT RISK

No arterial tourniquet. The Institute's only exception is someone alone, more than 90 minutes from help, certain it was a mamba or Cape cobra, with a proper tourniquet. You have a partner and a car.4

IF B · BANDAGE
OUTCOME: VENOM SLOWED · CORRECT

For a black mamba: pressure bandage, 50–70 mmHg, from the bite toward the heart, then a splint. Mambas and some cobras only, never a puff adder, and not for North American rattlesnakes.41013

▶ Watch June explain it (2:17)

INJECT 01-4 · DECISION 4CALDER CO.

“Minute five. The car is four hundred meters back.”

ASTAY STILLBRUN
IF B · RUN
OUTCOME: UNKNOWN · WORSE ODDS

Running works the leg you just splinted, and the CDC says don't drive yourself after a snakebite: you can faint.45

IF A · STAY STILL
OUTCOME: CARRIED · CORRECT

Stay still. Let your partner carry you to the car and drive.105

▶ Watch June explain it (3:13)

INJECT 01-5 · DECISION 5CALDER CO.

“Minute twelve. Your lips tingle. There's a strange taste in your mouth. Your partner offers brandy, for the nerves.”

ABRANDYBNOTHING
IF A · BRANDY
OUTCOME: UNKNOWN · CHOKING RISK

Alcohol is on the do-not list, and so are aspirin and ibuprofen.53

IF B · NOTHING
OUTCOME: AIRWAY PROTECTED · CORRECT

Nothing by mouth. Swallowing is about to get hard. If you vomit, onto your side.310

▶ Watch June explain it (3:57)

INJECT 01-6 · DECISION 6CALDER CO.

“Minute forty. Your eyelids droop. You can't swallow. Your breaths get small. This one is your partner's call.”

ABREATHEBWAIT
IF B · WAIT
OUTCOME: NOT SURVIVED · IF BREATHING STOPS AND NOBODY BREATHES FOR YOU

This venom goes after breathing. Waiting is how you lose it.34

IF A · BREATHE
OUTCOME: BREATHING SUPPORTED · CORRECT

Call emergency services, then rescue breaths: one gentle breath every six seconds for an adult, with a mask if you have one. The Institute says compressions aren't required. Follow the dispatcher.4

▶ Watch June explain it (4:26)

INJECT 01-7 · DECISION 7CALDER CO.

“Ninety minutes. Hospital. Someone in the waiting room says one shot of antivenom fixes it.”

AONE VIALBAS MANY
IF A · ONE VIAL
OUTCOME: UNDERTREATED · UNKNOWN

One vial is a rumor. Mamba bites often need ten or more vials.13

IF B · AS MANY
OUTCOME: TREATED · CORRECT

Polyvalent antivenom, as much as it takes, and if breathing fails, a machine breathes. Danie Pienaar got no antivenom and survived on a ventilator for about two days.31114

▶ Watch June explain it (5:01)

Myths vs facts

  • MYTHYou have twenty minutes.

    FACTBreathing trouble can start within half an hour; nerve signs usually appear between 15 minutes and 2 hours. Ranges vary. Plan for less, and call for help first.123

  • MYTHBlack mambas are black.

    FACTThe body is grey to dark brown. The name comes from the inky black inside of the mouth.21

  • MYTHA black mamba is faster than a horse.

    FACTThe top recorded burst is 16–19 km/h (10–12 mph), in short bursts over level ground.6

  • MYTHCut it and suck the venom out, or use a suction pump.

    FACTDon't cut and don't suck. In a 2004 study a suction pump removed 0.04% of the mock venom.47

  • MYTHTie your belt above the bite.

    FACTNo arterial tourniquet. The only exception is alone, more than 90 minutes from help, certain it was a mamba or Cape cobra, with a proper tourniquet.4

  • MYTHA drink of brandy helps.

    FACTNo alcohol, aspirin or ibuprofen. Once swallowing is impaired, nothing by mouth.53

  • MYTHSnake oil works on snakebite.

    FACTClark Stanley sold his liniment for 'bites of animals, insects and reptiles' around 1905. In 1917 federal investigators found mineral oil, beef fat, red pepper and turpentine. No snake. He was fined $20.89

  • MYTHOne vial of antivenom is enough.

    FACTMamba bites often need ten or more vials; severe cases twenty or more.13

EXPERTS DISAGREE

Pressure bandage: it depends on the snake

  • Black mamba, Cape cobra (Africa)

    Pressure bandage, 50–70 mmHg, from the bite toward the heart, plus a splint, until hospital.4

  • Neurotoxic snakes in general (WHO)

    Pressure immobilization is only recommended for neurotoxic snakes that don't cause local swelling.10

  • Cytotoxic bites (puff adder)

    Never use a pressure bandage.4

  • North American rattlesnakes

    Toxicologists say pressure immobilization is not recommended before hospital.13

This is geography, not a coin toss. Know your snake. Or at least your continent. If you don't know, call for help and follow local guidance.

REAL CASE · NOT STAGEDCALDER CO.

One real case

In January 1998 Kruger National Park ranger Danie Pienaar was tracking white rhino alone when a black mamba bit him just below the knee. He tried to cut the bite, tied his belt above the knee, walked back to his pickup and drove to a tourist road, where the first car took him on. He reached hospital about two hours after the bite. He never received antivenom; a ventilator breathed for him for about two days, and he recovered.11

Your slip

The correct string tonight is A-B-B-A-B-A-B. Got all seven? You still go to the hospital.

Every real slip carries a checksum. Clone channels copy the scenario. They don't get the checksum.

Verify DR02-MVG6Play the Qualifier
CALDER COUNTY OEMTABLETOP EXERCISE PROGRAMDRY RUN 02 · MAMBAT+00:00 – T+01:30DECISION 1 ADECISION 2 BDECISION 3 BDECISION 4 ADECISION 5 BDECISION 6 ADECISION 7 BSTRING A-B-B-A-B-A-BSOURCES [1]-[15]CHK DR02-MVG6

Questions people search

What should you do if a black mamba bites you?

Call emergency services and get to a hospital urgently, even if you feel fine. Move at least 5 m away from the snake, keep still, take off rings and anything tight, and for a confirmed mamba apply a pressure bandage (50–70 mmHg) from the bite toward the heart with a splint. Don't cut, suck, ice or use a tourniquet. If breathing stops, give rescue breaths, one every six seconds for an adult.

How long do you have after a black mamba bite?

There is no single number. Breathing trouble can start within half an hour, and nerve signs usually appear between 15 minutes and 2 hours after the bite. Twenty minutes is a movie number. Plan for less time than you think and call for help first.

Should you use a tourniquet for a black mamba bite?

No. The African Snakebite Institute advises against arterial tourniquets. Its only exception is someone alone, more than 90 minutes from medical help, certain it was a black mamba or Cape cobra, using a proper tourniquet. Otherwise use a pressure bandage and splint.

Why is it called a black mamba if it isn't black?

The body is grey to dark brown. The name refers to the inky black inside of its mouth, which it shows when threatened.

Is a black mamba faster than a horse?

The fastest recorded black mamba burst is 16–19 km/h (10–12 mph), over short distances on level ground, according to Guinness World Records.

Does a snakebite suction pump work?

No. In a 2004 study with volunteers, a suction pump removed 0.04% of the mock venom. Don't cut or suck the bite either.

Sources

Procedures were checked against these. Where a source is a summary of a code, we say so. Spot an error? Comment on the video or email business@dryruninstitute.com and we'll pin the correction.

  1. [1] African Snakebite Institute (accessed 2026). Black Mamba (Dendroaspis polylepis)
  2. [2] SANBI (S. Dlamini) (2020, updated 2021). Black mamba · Animal of the week
  3. [3] UC San Diego Toxicology (undated). Dendroaspis (mamba) snakebite protocol
  4. [4] African Snakebite Institute (accessed 2026). First aid for snakebite
  5. [5] CDC / NIOSH (2024, reviewed 2026). Venomous Snakes (outdoor workers)
  6. [6] Guinness World Records (accessed 2026). Fastest land snake
  7. [7] Alberts MB, Shalit M, LoGalbo F. Annals of Emergency Medicine 43(2):181–186 (2004). Suction for venomous snakebite: a study of "mock venom" extraction in a human model
  8. [8] Clark Stanley (via U.S. National Library of Medicine / Wikimedia Commons, public domain) (c. 1905). Clark Stanley's Snake Oil Liniment, True Life in the Far West (pamphlet)
  9. [9] NPR Code Switch (L. Gandhi) (2013). A History of 'Snake Oil Salesmen'
  10. [10] World Health Organization (accessed 2026). Snakebite envenoming: treatment (Box 1, first aid)
  11. [11] Kruger Park Times (undated). Black mamba bite (Danie Pienaar, 1998)
  12. [12] U.S. Navy Bureau of Medicine and Surgery (via Biodiversity Heritage Library, public domain) (1968). Poisonous Snakes of the World: A Manual for Use by the U.S. Amphibious Forces, Plate III
  13. [13] Seifert SA, White J, Currie BJ. Journal of Medical Toxicology 7(4):324–326 (2011). Pressure Bandaging for North American Snake Bite? No!
  14. [14] Erulu VE et al. Tropical Medicine and Infectious Disease 3(3):104 (2018). Revered but Poorly Understood: A Case Report of Dendroaspis polylepis Envenomation in Watamu, Kenya, and a Review of the Literature
  15. [15] Quarch V, Brander L, Cioccari L. Case Reports in Critical Care (2017). An Unexpected Case of Black Mamba (Dendroaspis polylepis) Bite in Switzerland

Fiction framing. Procedures are real. Not a substitute for professional training. Calder County, June Hadley and the tabletop are fictional. The EXERCISE ODDS readout in the video is a tabletop estimate, not a statistic. In a real emergency, call 911 and follow instructions from responders on scene.

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