A South African pilot is being praised for keeping his cool after he discovered a most unwelcome passenger mid-flight: a Cape cobra.
Pilot Rudolf Erasmus was piloting a Beechcraft Baron 58 with four passengers from Western Cape to Nelspruit on Monday, April 3, when he felt "something cold" slither across his back, reported the Associated Press.
That "something cold" turned out to be a Cape cobra, an extremely venomous snake that can kill a human being in as little as 30 minutes, according to University of California San Diego.
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"It was as if my brain didn’t know what was going on," Erasmus said.
Cape cobras are about five to seven feet long and pursue a variety of prey, from birds to reptiles to small mammals, according to Britannica Kids, an encyclopedia published by Encyclopedia Britannica.
"Unlike many of the cobras, they look for prey during the day," said Britannica Kids.
"They are shy snakes, and will not attack people unless they feel threatened. But they have been known to enter houses in pursuit of prey, and sometimes they lie in paths where people step on them."
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Once Erasmus realized a fifth passenger had boarded the flight without his knowledge, he informed his passengers they would soon be making an emergency landing.
"There was a moment of stunned silence," he told the AP.
After radioing air traffic control about his surprise guest on board, he was given permission to land in Welkom, South Africa.
Erasmus had to pilot his plane for about 15 minutes with the Cape cobra at his feet.
"I kept looking down to see where it was. It was happy under the seat," Erasmus said to the Associated Press. "I don’t have a big fear of snakes, but I normally don’t go near them."
Erasmus landed safely at the airport in Welkom, where he was greeted by first responders as well as a snake handler.
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Amid all the drama, the Cape cobra managed to evade capture. A snake handler and "a team of aviation engineers" looked for two days but were unable to find the snake.
Erasmus eventually flew the plane back to its original destination, albeit with some additional safety measures for the 90-minute flight.
The understandably nervous pilot wore thick clothes, wrapped his seat in a blanket and brought additional anti-snake items on board, just in case, said the AP.
The snake was still nowhere to be found, but it might have slithered deep into the plane.
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It is theorized that the Cape cobra boarded the plane at the start of the trip, but may have inadvertently entered during a refueling stop.
"I hope it finds somewhere to go," Erasmus said to the AP.
"Just not my aircraft."
