Durban - A snake rescuer has warned against getting up close and personal with venomous snakes after a video posted on social media showed a South African man come face to face with a large black mamba.
In a video posted on TikTok and circulating on other social media platforms, a man wearing blue overalls is on his hands and knees, moving his face closer to the snake's head as the reptile opens its mouth.
The man then uses his right index finger and moves it from one side of the mamba’s head to the other.
People are heard screaming in the video before the man suddenly stands up, and the snake is seen quickly moving away
Local snake rescuer Nick Evans, confirmed that the snake in the video was a black mamba. He said the snake had clearly had a meal.
“My advice to people is to never attempt what he's doing,” warned Evans.
He said the best thing to do when a snake is encountered was to leave it alone.
“Killing a snake or trying to catch it puts you at high risk of being bitten. Step away slowly from it, and either leave it alone or phone a snake catcher immediately,” said Evans.
Earlier this year during a black mamba rescue, Evans advised workers who had been stabbing the snake with a steel pole, of the dangers involved.
“If you attack a mamba, it will open up its mouth at you, to intimidate you. It will definitely try and strike. Killing them is extremely dangerous,” he said.