A South African man was shocked to find a living Cape Cobra snake underneath his pillow on his bed.
According to PEOPLE, Cape Cobra snakes are highly venomous. After the man, who lives in Stellenbosch, found the snake under his pillow, he immediately contacted Stellenbosch Snake Removals. The company sent out an expert snake catcher to assist in removing the cape cobra from the home. The snake catcher's name was Emile Rossouw.
A video clip of Rossouw's removal of the reptile was shared to the company's Facebook account on November 24th. In that post, the company mentioned that Cape Cobras are "by far the most dangerous" of all cobras. Moreover, the post noted that Cape Cobras, along with Black Mambas, account for the majority of fatal snake bites in South Africa each year.
Apparently, Cape Cobras vary in color from near black, to brown and beige, yellow, or even speckled. Juvenile Cape Cobras are identified via the dark band on their throat. Mole Snakes and Black Spitting Cobras are sometimes thought to be Cape Cobras, and vice versa.
Professional Makes Efficient Work Of Removing Venomous Snake From South African Home
In the video clip itself, Rossouw is shown to be a truly efficient and effective professional. Rossouw makes smooth work of the critter from start to finish. First, the expert snake catcher removes the pillow from the bed, slowly and steadily. The snake is shown to still be lurking under the bed's covers, but once revealed to the world, the reptile is in a tough spot.
Rossouw then proceeds to pick the reptile up, and pull it away from the bed, with a long-handled hook. Rossouw is also confident enough to use his own hands as necessary. And despite the danger the cobra presents, Rossouw still makes time to joke that the reptile is "not something you want in your bed."
Eventually, Rossouw places the wiggly Cape Cobra into a plastic container. That container is then carried outside, and the incident has finally reached its painless end.
While this episode was not one to include any bites, the Stellenbosch Snake Removals company did mention that any person bitten by a Cape Cobra should seek immediate medical attention.
