An 81-year-old Strandfontein woman is counting her blessings after spotting a Cape Cobra slithering through her home before it disappeared into her couch.
The woman who asked not to be named, said she was sorting through documents on her couch on Monday, March 31, when she caught sight of the movement under the table.
"I looked again, and that is when I saw the snake," she said. She immediately called for help, and her son-in-law and grandson rushed to assist while keeping the snake from moving to other areas of the house.
"The snake moved behind the second couch. They stayed in the lounge to contained while the doors to the other rooms were closed," she said.
The family contacted her grandson, who is part of snake- handling group, to help remove it.
"The snake crawled through a in the lining of the couch, so we had to tip it over and get it out," she explained. "It was a Cape Cobra."
"No one was bitten, thank God," she said. "But this is the second time a Cape Cobra has been found on the premises." Three years ago, her family dealt with another massive two-metre cobra in their backyard which was also safely removed.
The Cape Cobra was eventually retrieved and placed in a secure container before being released into a bushy area near the beachfront, in line with handling regulations.
Since the latest incident, the woman has taken extra precautions, and brought a kitten onto the property, hoping it will alert her if another snake appears.
A video shared by the family shows the snake handler carefully removing the cobra before placing it inside a plastic container.
Her ordeal comes just over a week, after IOL reported how a woman from Paarl survived a similar ordeal inside her home after a Cape Cobra was found in her bed moments before she wanted to take a nap.
The woman fondly known as “Tannie,” called in the services of Eduanne Niemand, the founder of Boland Snake Removals 24/7 and Pest Control.
Snake handlers have warned that Cape Cobras are becoming more active and often seek shelter inside homes. Residents are urged to remain cautious and contact professionals if they encounter a snake.
Cape Argus