Given that we wrote about some golden Ozzie news bloopers yesterday, the timing of Australian reporter Sarah Cawte’s snake snafu is on the money.

Cawte, who was filming a segment for Australia’s Nine Network on snake safety, actually handled the incident far better than many others would have.

Sure, she let out a scream and pulled the kind of face that her friends will give her grief about for years, but she didn’t overreact, which is probably why no harm was done.

That, and the fact that snakes really have no interest in biting people, unless given no other option.

Here’s the moment the snake struck out:

Again, I think she handles it remarkably well.

Closer to home, a woman in Durban had a far more terrifying encounter with a snake, when a Mozambique spitting cobra spat venom into her eyes.

The woman didn’t see the snake because she was in the midst of load shedding, and the cobra responded when it felt threatened by her proximity.

News24 spoke with snake catcher Jason Arnold, who located and captured the cobra:

Arnold told News24 that the woman had quickly rinsed her eyes with water, as the venom causes immediate pain and discomfort.

“Provided you flushed the eyes well enough and within about 15 minutes, you generally won’t require any medical care,” he said, adding that it would be a good idea to also visit an ophthalmologist to ensure that the eye had not been damaged.

Arnold was able to remove the snake from the property and said he would be releasing it into a safe environment on Friday.

You may not agree, but I think this cobra is a beauty:

Props to all the snake catchers who respond to calls for help, because there’s no chance I’m going near that one.

If you come across a snake in your home or property, and you’re unsure if it’s dangerous, the best option is to call a professional and let them handle the matter.

[source:news24]