“It Didn’t Ask To Be Here”: Farmworkers Finding Rattlesnake in South Africa Divides the Internet

• Farmworkers near Sannieshof allegedly killed a rattlesnake, sparking debate on social media about exotic pet ownership
• Snake expert Eduanne Niemand believed the rattlesnake may have escaped from a pet owner in nearby areas
• Diverse opinions emerged online, ranging from relief to sorrow over the snake's death

Boland Snake Removals 24/7 and Pest Control founder Eduanne Niemand shared that farmworkers near Sannieshof in the North West allegedly killed a rattlesnake. The end of the venomous snake's life caused a division among social media users.

Eduanne shared that the incident took place on Saturday, 21 February 2026, and the farmers requested his expertise on what type of snake they had dealt with, as it didn't look like a puff adder. The snake expert noted that rattlesnakes are not native to South Africa but can be found in the Americas. He concluded that it must have been an escaped pet snake belonging to someone in the Delareyville, Sannieshof, or Lichtenburg areas.

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"That's exactly why you should be allowed to keep exotic pets on valid permits, and it's your responsibility not to let them escape."

Take a look at the rattlesnake in the Facebook picture posted on Eduanne's business account below:

Rattlesnake's death divides the internet

Many social media users took to the comment section to express their thoughts about the farmworkers' decision and tried to guess what type of rattlesnake they saw in the picture above.

Patrick O'Neill shared under the post:

"Luckily, the snake is dead now."

A heartbroken Liezel Steyn wrote:

"Shame, it didn't ask to be here."

An upset Thys Besselaar asked:

"Who brings rattlesnakes to a country that has enough snakes? You'd say we don't have enough problems already."

Joeye Kriek added in the comments:

"I don't know why people always want to kill everything. Goodness, relocate it or something."

3 Other stories about snakes

• In another article, Briefly News reported on a dramatic video showing a snake handler extracting a Cape cobra from inside a family's couch.
• A local snake rescuer shared that he had to remove a snake hiding in a toilet, leaving residents and online users stunned.
• A young boy confidently held a fast-moving corn snake for the first time, leaving people both impressed and amused.

Source: Briefly News