At Thornybush Nature Reserve, Andre de Kock captured an extraordinary encounter between a Snouted Cobra and a Nile Monitor Lizard, also known as a likkewaan. The cobra, using its camouflage and stealth, ambushed the large lizard in a tree and injected it with a potent mix of neurotoxic and cytotoxic venom. The venom quickly immobilized the lizard, allowing the snake to take its time before swallowing its prey whole.
Snouted Cobras are typically not aggressive but are powerful predators capable of hunting rodents, birds, other snakes, and lizards. Growing up to 2.5 meters in length, they rely on stealth and a strong sense of smell to locate prey. In this rare sighting, the cobra’s calculated approach and precise strike showed its remarkable hunting skill. The paralysed likkewaan, despite being Africa’s largest lizard with strong jaws and claws, had no chance against the snake’s venom.
Once subdued, the cobra began the slow process of swallowing the lizard head-first. Thanks to its flexible jaws and expandable body, it managed to consume the entire reptile, a remarkable feat of natural adaptation. This rare moment highlighted the incredible power and efficiency of one of Africa’s most formidable snakes, offering a dramatic reminder of the complex predator-prey relationships that play out daily in the wild.
