Hungry Black Mamba Found Hunting Rat in Bedside Cabinet

A hungry black mamba was discovered hunting a rat in a bedside cabinet at a house in South Africa.

Snake catcher Nick Evans — who provides a snake removal service in South Africa's KwaZulu-Natal province — was called to the house in the Greater Durban area after residents spotted the snake under a bed.

When he arrived, the black mamba was nowhere to be seen so he proceeded to look for it, the snake catcher said in a Facebook post. Evans looked under the bed, and behind a cabinet when suddenly, a rat that the snake had been chasing jumped out from a pile of clothes.

In a Facebook post, Evans said it gave him a "real fright."

Evans then tried moving the cabinet, and the top piece moved, finally exposing the mamba. The snake catcher told the residents to get out, and he grabbed the snake's tail as it tried getting away. With tongs, the snake catcher grabbed the other end of the snake and secured it with his hand. After a catch, Evans always releases the snakes back into the wild in an area away from people.

In the Facebook post, Evans said it had been a "strange place" for the black mamba to be lurking.

"Usually, they're behind, inside or under a cabinet. This was quite a surprise," he said.

Black mambas are highly venomous snakes native to Africa. A bite is always fatal if left untreated.

As far as black mambas go, this one wasn't very large and only measured 7.2 feet in length, Evans said. The snakes are among Africa's longest and can grow up to 14 feet, though the average is around 8 feet.

Evans said that this snake season, which takes place over the summer months in South Africa, between December and March, has been a particularly quiet one for black mambas.

In the Facebook post, Evans said he has not had as many calls as usual, and with some of the ones he has had, the snake had disappeared by the time he arrived.

He said he was glad his luck changed with this particular incident, although since it happened, there have not been any more sightings.

Black mambas often slither into Durban properties, as many are close to valleys or nature reserves, which are the perfect habitat for the snakes. They are often enticed into residential areas because of the prey that can be found there. Rats, other small rodents, and feral kittens can attract venomous snakes into neighbourhoods, near people.

Evans has found them nearly everywhere in the home, including in gardens, sheds, ceilings, living rooms, bedrooms and bathrooms.

He previously told Newsweek that people can accidentally create a perfect black mamba habitat around their home by being messy. Piles of rubbish and wood, as well as untidy storerooms and sheds, can make a warm, safe hiding place for mambas.