Frank Bromfield considers himself a man not easily frightened.
Yet even this tough-as-nails teacher and snake fan felt apprehension at confronting a black mamba, measuring about two-and-a-half metres long.
The snake was reportedly spotted near Ferrum High School on Saturday.
Although hesitant, Mr Bromfield relied on 18 years of experience to successfully subdue and capture the massive black mamba, a reptile named for the distinct dark inside of its mouth.
“There is a mamba sanctuary near Pietermaritzburg where I am taking the snake.”
Working on a system of capture and release, Mr Bromfield believes people’s fear of snakes is based purely on natural behaviour of a threatened creature.
“They are only aggressive when threatened or even irritated.”
Mr Bromfield is a self-taught snake wrangler, who has undertaken various courses and now gives lectures to companies based in snake-prevalent areas.
However, any snake sightings should be reported to Protection Services foremost.