"It Slithered Into the House”: Black Mamba Found in Sofa at Hazelmere Home

• A homeowner in Hazelmere, KZN, called for help after hearing a hissing sound and noticing their dogs barking non-stop
• The snake had slithered into the house and disappeared behind the lounge sofas before officers arrived to search for it
• The rescue left social media users both amazed and terrified, with plenty of jokes and questions flooding the comments

A homeowner in Hazelmere, KwaZulu-Natal, got quite a fright after a black mamba made its way into their house and vanished behind the lounge sofas. Reaction Unit South Africa (RUSA) shared the story on Facebook on 3 July 2026, along with photos from the rescue, captioned:

"Black Mamba Captured: Hazelmere - KZN. A Black Mamba measuring approximately 1.8 metres in length was safely removed from a residence in Hazelmere - KZN today (Friday, 03/07/2026)."

According to RUSA, the homeowner first noticed something was wrong when their dogs started barking non-stop, and they heard a hissing sound nearby.

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On investigating, they spotted the snake making its way down an embankment before it slithered straight into the house. It disappeared behind the lounge sofas, leaving the homeowner with no choice but to call in the professionals.

How the snake was found and removed

Reaction Officer Bryson Bisnath arrived on the scene and began searching the home. He eventually found the mamba hiding in a pile of toys next to the sofas.

The photos shared by RUSA show him carefully holding the snake just behind its head, with its mouth open, while its body wraps around his arm. He managed to capture the snake and remove it from the property without any incident.

Why black mambas end up in homes

Black mambas are known to seek out places like termite mounds, rock crevices and burrows, but they'll also make their way into gardens and homes if the opportunity presents itself.

They're not aggressive by nature and prefer to escape rather than confront a threat, but if cornered in a tight space, like behind a sofa, they can strike quickly. Experts always recommend calling a trained snake catcher rather than trying to handle or kill the snake yourself.

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See the Facebook photos below:

Mzansi discusses the black mamba capture

The photos on the Facebook page left people both impressed and unsettled:

@Shane Mahabeer suggested:

"Why RUSA don't open a snake park and raise funds from visitors so you can continue with your good work? Schools visit your parks as excursions and educate them about reptiles."

@Goolam Hoosen Akoon wrote:

"Let me tell you something, this snake needs to be repatriated #Abahambe."

@Nhlanhlayezwe Emabalabala Mahlaba asked:

"How much are they paying you guys? That's a death noodle."

@Mynawathie Ramjugath said:

"Oh no, you have courage and guts as a black mamba retriever; may you be safe always."

@Mngomezulu Sibusiso asked:

"If I may ask? Are you the only one from Reaction that catches snakes? Especially mambas."

More on snake rescues and scary situations

• Briefly News recently reported on a snake catcher who removed the biggest black mamba of his career from a hospital residence, and its size left even him stunned.
• An animal welfare organisation made an appeal to South Africans about snakes that has left people fiercely divided online.
• A Centurion woman's elaborate cover-up involving a charity theft came with a twist so wild that social media users say it belongs in a movie.

Source: Briefly News