Woman in South Africa nearly picks up ‘scarf’ in her kitchen, it’s actually a venomous snake

‘Scarf’ turns out to be highly venomous snake in South African home

Imagine reaching for a piece of clothing, only for it to suddenly strike.

That’s what nearly happened to a woman in Vermont, South Africa, on 5 Oct when she encountered a venomous snake that looked deceptively like a lump of fabric in her home.

That afternoon, she entered her kitchen and spotted what appeared to be a brown patterned scarf on the floor, pressed against the countertop.

As she bent down to pick it up, she realised, just in time, that it wasn’t a scarf at all.

Instead, it was a puff adder, one of the region’s most dangerous venomous snakes.

Calls local wildlife expert for help

In a panic, the woman quickly contacted Corné Uys, a local wildlife conservationist and snake catcher.

According to her, Mr Uys rushed to her aid, even leaving his braai (the South African version of a barbecue) to assist, despite the event being a key part of social gatherings.

She described him as her hero.

Upon arrival, Mr Uys successfully captured the snake and speculated that it had likely come from a nearby nature reserve.

“The last few days have been very hot,” he explained, suggesting the snake had sought refuge in the cooler environment of the woman’s kitchen.

Mr Uys also cautioned local residents to stay vigilant as summer approached.

Puff adders are highly venomous and are responsible for more fatalities than any other snake in Africa.

They are easily identified by the chevron-shaped patterns on their backs.

After safely capturing the snake, Mr Uys released it back into the nature reserve.

On 18 Oct, he shared a video of a puff adder being returned to the wild.

It’s unclear if this was the same snake that had found its way into the woman’s home.

However, Mr Uys estimated that the snake he released was about 1.2m long, calling it “huge for a puff adder”.

Also read: Large python caught in bushes near Paya Lebar Square, sent to Mandai Wildlife Group

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Featured image adapted from Corné Uys Outdoors on Facebook.