Snake catcher pulls 7.5-foot black mamba from beneath bed after home search

A snake sighting in a home in Seaview, South Africa, led rescuers to a 2.3-meter (7.5-foot) black mamba hiding under a bed.

What happened?

The Witness reported that Durban snake catcher Nick Evans and Dr. Carla Goede responded to two black mamba calls in quick succession after returning from a work trip.

The first call was to a property in Moseley, where a woman accustomed to finding snakes thought she had come upon a Mozambique spitting cobra. A short time later, she realized it was a black mamba.

The second call came from Seaview, where a neighbor asked for help after a snake had been seen moving through a makeshift home and then disappeared, according to The Witness. "It could have been anywhere. There were gaps everywhere for it to slither through," Evans said.

The snake was finally located during a room-by-room search when residents noticed it moving beneath a bed. Evans climbed onto the bed, raised it, spotted the mamba through a narrow gap, and used tongs to bring it onto the mattress.

Why does it matter?

Black mambas are among Africa's most feared snakes. They are fast, highly venomous, and capable of causing life-threatening bites.

An encounter can put children, pets, and more at serious risk.

The rescues also reflect a growing human-wildlife issue. As development expands and more people live near or within wildlife habitats, animals increasingly end up in yards, sheds, and homes.

Human activity can make those encounters more likely, too. Evans noted that the first snake had recently eaten a rat and that rodents drawn to human settlements by food waste, storage clutter, and shelter can also attract predators.

Gaps in buildings, crowded storage areas, and makeshift structures can create ideal hiding places for snakes seeking cool, protected spaces.

What are people saying?

Evans praised staff members for staying calm and keeping eyes on the snake, saying, "That's exactly what people should do in that situation," The Witness reported.

After pulling the second snake out from under the bed, he even found a bit of humor in the chaos. "Don't recall catching a mamba while standing on a bed — maybe once or twice in the past," he said. "It was quite entertaining."

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