“Trained by Usain Bolt”: Fast, Jumping Boomslang Leaves South Africans Stunned

• A video posted on Facebook showed a boomslang in the Western Cape jumping from a wire fence
• Snake expert Eduanne Niemand shared with South Africans that the snake species can, in fact, jump
• While the snake jumping stunned social media users, it was the reptile's speed that shocked them more

Western Cape snake rescuer Eduanne Niemand from Boland Snake Removals 24/7 and Pest Control shared a video of a boomslang jumping from a wire fence. The impressive jump left many South Africans stunned.

Eduanne took to Facebook on 1 February 2026 and showed the highly venomous snake, native to Sub-Saharan Africa, going down on the ground with ease. After jumping off the fence, the boomslang slithered off into a dry, bushy area.

The snake expert told the public:

"The one that got away today. Yes, a boomslang can jump up to 2m from tree to tree."

Watch the Facebook reel posted on Eduanne's account below:

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Jumping snake stuns South Africans

The viral video had hundreds of local members of the online community heading to the comment section. Some people were shocked to see how fast the snake was, while others shared stories of their encounters.

Africa dot comma told the online community:

"Such a fast snake shouldn't be that poisonous!"

A frightened Sindie Sandlana said:

"Let me close my windows."

Wesley Greene wrote in the comment section:

"Never mind jumping, look how fast that thing moves."

Alberto Stalls jokingly remarked:

"That snake was trained by Usain Bolt!'

Jelson Mlowoka added under the post:

"Imagine it chasing you at that speed. What would happen to you?"

Bryan Barakat Sibanda wasn't convinced about the jump and commented:

"That looked more like a fall than a jump."

3 Other stories about boomslangs

• In another article, Briefly News reported that a late-night snake relocation took an unexpected turn when the snake bit him.
• A Cape Town snake expert left South Africans stunned after sharing a photo of himself watching rugby with a boomslang.
• A family's Christmas gathering turned into chaos when a boomslang dropped from a tree during their outdoor chat.

Source: Briefly News