55-year-old Rob and his wife Marcela Wild were freaked out after finding a highly venomous snake slithering around in the top of their Christmas tree.
The couple said that they had just decorated the tree with lights hours before and the family was relaxing in the living room when their cat became fixated on the tree.
Rob who is a British stock market trader and moved from Costa Rican to South Africa 18 years ago, told CNN, “The cats were peering into the tree and my wife said ‘there’s probably a mouse in there somewhere.'”Â
The family soon realized that it was a venomous snake after it poked its head out of the tinsel and baubles. The family who lives in the Western Cape of South Africa quickly called a local professional to come and remove the critter.
The snake catcher Gerrie Heyns instructed the family over the phone to stay away from the snake until he got there. When he arrived on the scene and captured it, he verified it was a female boomlang snake that measured around 4.5 feet.
“The snake stayed in the tree for two hours until I got there,” Heyns said. He used “snake tongs” to place it on the floor, where it was easier to handle. “Once I had it under control the family came right up to see the snake. It didn’t try to bite or be defensive because I gave it no reason to. A scary moment turned into an exciting moment for the children.”