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A puff adder discovered in the trunk of a tree at Gamble Street Secondary School in Kariega on Friday has been released into the Groendal Nature Reserve.
The startling discovery was made by frightened learners during break time who quickly alerted their teachers.
The school grounds, located at the corner of Dower Avenue and Hendrik Van Eck Drive, lies just behind Swartkops River where snakes are often spotted.
According to staff members, this is not the first time a snake was discovered on the premises.
Four male teachers came to the rescue on Friday.
The men considered calling well-known snake expert Mark Marshall, but being avid hikers and nature lovers, they felt comfortable enough to do the job themselves.
The teachers are believed to have taken a broomstick to remove it from the tree, before placing it in an empty rubbish bin to transport it to the nature reserve.
Algoa FM News reached out to Marshall who said that adders were common in our areas with an average of three caught per day.
He says they are found even in people's homes and yards.
"I caught three over the last weekend," said Marshall.
