A Goodwood man is in a stable condition after he was bitten by a Cape cobra at his home on Saturday afternoon.
Netcare 911 spokesperson Athlenda Mathe said the man was working in the garden when he was bitten.
Paramedics had treated him at the scene and he was taken to a nearby hospital.
Shaun MacLeod, a snake expert with more than 45 years experience, said he had relocated a number of snakes from properties in the Goodwood and Parow areas over the years.
MacLeod said snakes did not attack, unless it was to defend themselves.
Bites were not common because snakes usually slithered away as they avoid confrontation. “Usually when snakes feel a person walking, they tend to move away.”
He explained a Cape cobra’s venom was neurotoxic, which meant it destroyed nerves and shut down the person's central nervous system until eventually they were unable to move.
However, as painful as a cobra bite was, he was of the opinion a person could survive one without medical treatment. However, it would take longer to for the venom to leave their system than it would if they were given anti-venom.