“Brave As Heck”: Limpopo Farmer Eyeballing a Venomous Cobra Scares South Africans

• A farmer in Limpopo shared a video of his encounter with a cobra, a snake known to be highly venomous
• As the man eyeballed the snake, he shared a few facts about the reptile and why it was huffing and puffing
• Social media users felt scared for the farmer when they saw how close he got to the cobra

Louis Daniel Pienaar, a reptile lover and farmer in Modimolle, Limpopo, showed how he bravely got up close and personal with a highly venomous snouted cobra. His interaction with the snake left many fearful.

The conservationist uploaded the clip on 14 January 2026, telling people online that the snake contains neurotoxins, which disrupt the nervous system, and cytotoxic properties, which are cell-destroying.

"This is still a youngster, and it can reach up to 2.5m, but you would usually find them at around 1.7m to 1.8m. These guys will hunt all sorts of amphibians, birds and their eggs, lizards, small mammals, and also other snakes. It's a very beautiful animal."

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Louis also shared that the cobra's stance, hoods on full display, and its huffing and puffing were the reptile's attempt to look as intimidating as possible so that it could be left alone.

Watch the Instagram reel on Louis' account below:

Disclaimer: Snakes are wild and potentially dangerous. Do not attempt to handle them. Always contact trained professionals.

South Africans get the heebie-jeebies

Many members of the online community took to the comment section with fear, confessing how they wouldn't want to be near such a venomous snake.

@poe_zulu stated with a laugh:

"I'd be 65km away from you both before you finish saying, 'Now this right here...' You're brave, brother."

@honore22 humorously told the farmer:

"It’s beautiful from this side of the screen, yes."

@iradney wrote in the comment section:

"So pretty! You're brave as heck, though."

@japiepapenfus said to the public:

"It looks like it wants a kiss."

Although Louis has had his fair share of cobra encounters, @buks2410 warned:

"You must stop this! It's very risky."

3 Other stories about cobras

• In another article, Briefly News reported that Louis shared a video of himself enjoying an alcoholic beverage in the presence of a cobra.
• A snake handler extracted a cobra hidden deep inside a family's couch, sparking concerns on social media.
• A Western Cape snake catcher's attempt to release a cobra into the wild didn't go as planned when it slithered towards him.

Source: Briefly News