Highly Venomous Mozambique Spitting Cobra Found In South African Family's Prayer Room

A snake rescuer has described the tense encounter with a cobra after being called to a home in South Africa's Reservoir Hills. Taking to Facebook, Nick Evans, who is a reptile educator and conservationist, informed that he was confronted by an angry Mozambique spitting cobra - a highly venomous snake native to Africa - on Friday. Mr Evans said that he had been called to save a snake that had been discovered in a hole in the wall of a family's prayer room. 

In the social media post, Nick Evans said that when he arrived at the house, the reptile proved elusive. “When I arrived, I stuck my phone in the hole in the wall, on video mode, hoping to spot the snake,” he said. The snake catcher added, “I heard something. When cobras are irritated, they emit a distinct, short hiss… However, I was unable to see it on the camera.”

Mr Evans said that he was struggling to locate the snake, following which he resorted to tearing apart a section of the room as he spotted a gap which he suspected the snake had travelled through. “I felt really bad,” he said. But he went on to add that the homeowner was adamant to get the snake out. 

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In the caption, Mr Evans wrote that he found the snake exactly where he expected it to be after some dismantling with the homeowner's help. The reptile was not happy, but Mr Evans explained that he anyway went ahead and pulled the snake out with the help of tongs. “It spat furiously at my tongs, then me," he said. 

Eventually, Mr Evans revealed that he managed to pin the venomous snake down. “The family were happy to see the back of this snake, and I don't blame them!” he concluded the post. 

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Citing website Reptile Range, Newsweek reported that Mozambique spitting cobra grows to multiple feet in length and maybe grey or olive-brown in colour. The snake is named for its ability to spit its venom. They are known to bite humans and account for the majority of serious snakebite cases in Southern Africa. Mozambique spitting cobra's venom can cause pain, swelling, blisters and even severe tissue damage, the media outlet reported.