A handful of venomous snake species are common to the Western Cape of South Africa. When I lived here in 2008 I saw one of them, an ornery sort called the puff adder. (Click here to read that account.) I had really wanted to add a Cape cobra to my list of wildlife sightings. Last Wednesday I got my wish.
Like most people, I find snakes creepy, but I’m also sort of fascinated by them. The Cape cobra is perhaps not as well-known as certain other snakes, but it’s said to be one of the deadliest of the African cobras. I was with the LCC team on a sightseeing tour at the Cape of Good Hope, the most southwesterly point in Africa, when our driver spotted it crossing the road ahead of us. We stopped and got out for a better look. Not too close, of course – we gave it plenty of space to continue on its merry way through the dunes – but close enough to appreciate that this dangerous creature was at home in its natural habitat and we were merely visitors.a
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