Earlier last month, a woman in South Africa walked into her kitchen and spotted what appeared to be a patterned scarf lying on the floor beneath her counter. When she bent down to pick it up, she quickly discovered that things weren’t as they seemed.
According to wildlife conservationist Corné Uys, who spoke to The Dodo, “[She] noticed something strange lying in the shadows of the kitchen. When she reached for it, she realized it wasn’t a scarf at all — but a large puff adder.”
Recognizing the danger, the woman immediately contacted Uys for help.
Puff adders, native to grassy regions across South Africa, are venomous vipers known for their distinctive triangular heads and yellow-brown coloring. As Kruger National Park notes, these snakes play an important ecological role by keeping rodent populations in check.
Uys believes the snake had likely wandered in from a nearby nature reserve, seeking a cool spot to escape the heat.
He safely captured the reptile and relocated it to the mountains within the reserve. Once released, the puff adder slithered off into the grass and trees — back where it belonged, leaving its short adventure in human territory behind.