Man Finds Black Mamba Behind Toilet: 'Nearly Flew Out of the Bathroom'

A man in South Africa "nearly flew out of the bathroom" when he found a deadly black mamba behind his toilet.

The venomous snake was removed by snake specialist Byron Zimmerman, who runs the reptile conservation and husbandry business Snakes for Africa.

In a Facebook post, Zimmerman shared photos of the incident and explained how he had caught the deadly snake using a wheel spanner from his car.

"Last night I phoned and booked my car in to have the brakes done, and took all my catching equipment out," he said. "On the way to the mechanic I got a callout for a snake in the bathroom. The caller said it's a black mamba.

"I changed course and arrived at the house a few minutes later, and reached behind the seat, as I always do, for my tongs and hookstick. Ah yes. I took them out, didn't I? Well, I have a wheel spanner. It will have to do. It did"

Zimmerman told Newsweek that, when he arrived, the five-foot snake was hiding quietly behind the toilet and the bidet.

"It was not aggressive or defensive," he said. "The homeowner actually even touched it before he realized what it was. It simply pulled back to avoid being seen."

Black mambas are found throughout Sub-Saharan Africa. They are one of the deadliest snakes in the world, with a bite that can kill a human in as little as 20 minutes. Their venom is a potent neurotoxin that works by shutting down the victim's nervous system.

Despite their dangerous reputation, black mambas are fairly shy animals. They only bite when they are provoked, although they can become very aggressive when they feel threatened.

Zimmerman said that the snakes do occasionally end up in people's houses, although usually this is accidental. "They are probably unaware that it is a house/shed/building but they are just quite active hunters," he said. "They eat birds, bats, rats, kittens and other small mammals."

After capturing the snake, Zimmerman took it to a natural bush area, away from people and houses, to release it. "It is a young mamba so it will settle somewhere new quite easily," he said.

If you should ever find a deadly snake in your house, you should call a professional snake catcher immediately.

"[The homeowner] has dealt with smaller, harmless species before but knew that this was beyond him, so he called me," Zimmerman said, but "don't try this at home."

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