Black Mamba Found Lurking Behind Oven As Homeowner Baked

A black mamba was found lurking behind an oven while the homeowner baked, footage shows.

Snake catcher Nick Evans—who owns a snake removal service in the Greater Durban area of South Africa—arrived at a house in Savanna Park at midnight, to find the highly venomous snake hiding in the kitchen.

In the footage, Evans stands up on the kitchen countertop to get a better look at where the snake is hiding. The camera zooms in on the snake, which is coiled up behind the oven.

"A big black mamba that," Evans can be heard saying.

Black mambas are highly venomous and can kill a person in under 30 minutes with a bite. However, the species is usually shy and reclusive unless directly provoked.

They are attracted to small, dark spaces where they can hide or escape the heat of the day. The snakes will often slither into properties, in search of prey in the form of small rodents of kittens, which they can smell from miles away.

The snake catcher pulls the oven out from its place in the wall, poised to catch the snake.

Evans uses his tongs to ease the snake out of its hiding place. He carefully moves the tongs upwards so that it secures his head. The snake catcher then reaches down and takes hold of its head with his hand—the head is the most important part of the body to secure, in order to avoid being bitten.

"Sorted," the snake catcher says, once the head is secure, "quick and easy." He then reaches down to hold the snake's tail and transport it into a plastic container.

Evans places the snake inside the container and readies himself to release the head. Once he releases the head, Evans quickly slams the lid on the box, to prevent the snake from lunging.

This black mamba measured 7.8 feet. Black mambas are the longest species of snake in Africa. Their average length is between 7 and 8 feet, although they have been known to reach over 13 feet.

The video then cuts to daytime, where the snake catcher releases the black mamba back into the wild, away from people.

In the footage the snake can be seen rapidly swimming across a river, to dry habitat.

Black Mambas prefer valley and savannah areas in the southern parts of Africa. A lot of their preferred habitats surround greater Durban homes, which increases the likelihood of them slithering into properties. Mambas are especially drawn to messy households, where there are plenty of places to hide.