“A Harrowing Experience”: Snake Catcher’s Boomslang Bite Leaves SA Stunned in Viral Rescue Video

• A late-night snake relocation in the Eastern Cape took an unexpected turn, leaving a professional snake catcher and social media users shaken
• A video shared online shows the aftermath of the encounter, sparking concern and debate as viewers reacted to the dangerous situation
• The incident prompted an urgent medical response and widespread praise for the professionals involved, with many online weighing in on the risks of the job

A snake catcher’s close call with one of South Africa’s most dangerous snakes has left social media users stunned after footage of the incident surfaced online.

The man, who works as a professional snake catcher, shared a video on Facebook on 1 February 2026 under the handle Neville's Snake & Reptile Rescue showing the aftermath of being bitten by a highly venomous boomslang during a late-night relocation in the Eastern Cape. The incident reportedly took place at a residence in Tshabo Block 1, where the snake had been hiding in the ceiling of a home.

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According to details shared in the Facebook caption, the boomslang was extremely agitated when the catcher attempted to remove it just before midnight. While placing the snake into a tube, it unexpectedly reversed, spun around and lunged towards his hand. Although he felt the snake brush against him, he initially did not believe he had been bitten.

After safely securing the snake, the man inspected his hand and noticed two small scratch marks just below his wrist. At the time, there was no pain or bleeding, leading him to assume he had avoided a bite. However, once he returned home, he began experiencing a burning sensation and noticed slight swelling around the affected area.

"I felt the snake brush against my hand and quickly let go of the tail and secured it again using my tongs, and managed to get it into the tube. I checked my hand for any signs that I was bitten and discovered two "scratch marks" just below my wrist. I did not feel any pain, and there was no bleeding, so I did not suspect that I was bitten. When I got back home, I felt a burning sensation around the two scratch marks and noticed slight swelling around that area, he explained in his post.

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Concerned, he contacted Johan Marais of the African Snakebite Institute, who advised him to seek immediate medical attention and undergo blood tests to determine whether envenomation had occurred. The snake catcher was admitted to the hospital, where doctors conducted several tests, including a full blood count, PTT and INR tests.

He revealed that aside from the initial swelling and burning sensation, which subsided after three hours, he experienced no further symptoms. Follow-up blood tests conducted 12 hours later confirmed that there were no signs of venom in his system.

In his post, the snake catcher expressed gratitude to medical professionals and colleagues who assisted him throughout the ordeal. He also thanked Dr Christine Lawson for ensuring the hospital was prepared should his condition have worsened.

The video has since sparked widespread reactions online, with many praising his bravery and others warning about the dangers of handling highly venomous snakes.

SA reacts to the snake catcher’s terrifying encounter

The online community took to the comments section to express their thoughts, flooding the post with reactions, saying:

Corrie Heystek said:

"Get some gloves just in case."

MaFaku Asanda Poswa wrote:

"Great to hear this was a dry bite. Things could have been worse. Get some rest and take good care of yourself."

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Boikanyo Moilwa expressed:

"We thank God that you're ok, Neville. You did an excellent job!"

Chawatama Marimo commented:

"Happy to see you are ok, what a harrowing experience, thank you for sharing and I'm glad everything went well in the end!"

Watch the video below:

3 Snakes that stunned South Africans

• Briefly News previously reported that a standing snake was seen on the streets of Mzansi in a viral TikTok video.
• The heart-stopping moment saw the two animals locked in a standoff, with the dog cautiously assessing the threat while the snake remained coiled and ready to strike.
• An online post showed a massive snake making its way up branches, leaving many jaws on the floor.

Source: Briefly News