We foresee 'NO SNAKES ALLOWED' signs popping up on Hout Bay beach in Cape Town, South Africa after this impressively sized Cape cobra set out for a morning dip in the ocean.
Cape Cobra caught taking a stroll on Hout Bay Beach this morning. Photo by Janice Wagner. pic.twitter.com/lH53m1lFIY
— HoutBayNews (@HoutBayNews) November 10, 2014
The reptile was spotted by a jogger who – we salute your fortitude! – took the time to snap a few photos instead of hotfooting it out of there.
[MOST READ] 2 metre Cape cobra takes a dip at Hout Bay Beach http://t.co/WVI1kGN0L6 pic.twitter.com/IqaBpV2ZzG
— Eyewitness News (@ewnupdates) November 11, 2014
Of course, it wasn't long before the cobra's little excursion sent Twitter into a panic (you can also catch what the cobra has to say about all of this at @houtbaycobra).
Just saw a photo of an 8-foot cobra on Hout Bay beach and I feel so uncomfortable I want to go home and never leave the house.
— Kevin Minofu (@SKevinM) November 10, 2014
@MrCPT @Houtbayorg Is this for real? Snakes and sharks on Cape Town beaches... eeek!
— Nicole (@_Foxxie_) November 10, 2014
Yet according to a snake expert who was duly interviewed on a local radio station, it is still safe to go down to the beach today.
“The only time [the snake] would be dangerous is if you physically tamper with it – 98% of people who are bitten by snakes are bitten because of [that]. Most times, the snakes won’t attack you but will move away from you,” he noted.
As to why the cobra may have wanted a dip in the ocean, he suggests: “They soak themselves in the water when they are about to shed their skin, so their skin gets irritated.”
Top header image: Jon, Flickr