A Pretoria woman got the fright of her life after discovering a highly venomous snouted cobra hiding inside her Wapadrand home.

For Geraldine Pretorius, who has lived in the suburb for two and a half years, it was the first time she had ever encountered a snake on her property, reports Pretoria Rekord.

The incident happened in May after Pretorius arrived home one Wednesday evening and began hearing strange noises coming from inside a cupboard.

“I kept hearing something moving around in the cupboard. It was such a strange sound,” she recalled.

“Something just told me it had to be a snake that had somehow come into the house through my office.”

Despite searching, she was unable to find anything that evening.

The following day, however, her small dog began barking continuously – behaviour she immediately knew was unusual.

“I was upstairs when my little dog just wouldn’t stop barking. He was standing on the couch, staring behind it. I climbed onto the couch and looked over the backrest, and that’s when I saw it.”

Curled up in the corner behind the couch was a snake.

“It looked like it had already been trying to come up and was becoming irritated by my dog’s barking.”

Knowing she had to act quickly, Pretorius grabbed her dogs and cellphone before rushing outside.

“I closed the sliding door behind me, and then the snake came out in its full glory,” she said.

The reptile was later identified as a male snouted cobra estimated to be between five and six years old.

Pretorius said the experience was unlike anything she had encountered since moving to Wapadrand.

“I’ve lived here for two and a half years, and this is the first snake I’ve ever seen here. It was definitely not the surprise visitor I was expecting.”

Although snouted cobras generally avoid confrontation, they are among South Africa’s medically important venomous snakes and can become defensive if threatened or cornered. Their venom can cause severe tissue damage and requires immediate medical attention if a person is bitten.

Residents are advised not to attempt to catch or kill snakes themselves. Instead, they should keep a safe distance, move children and pets away from the area, and contact a qualified snake rescuer to remove the animal safely.

Fortunately, no one – including Pretorius’ dogs – was injured during the encounter, and the unexpected visitor was safely dealt with.

Breaking news at your fingertips… Follow Caxton Network News on Facebook and join our WhatsApp channel.

Nuus wat saakmaak. Volg Caxton Netwerk-nuus op Facebook en sluit aan by ons WhatsApp-kanaal.