A photographer has risked his life when he decided to take a selfie which will reflect in the eye of a very deadly snake.
Photographer Gerhard van der Westhuizen, 26 came across the snake in the gardens of the Sanbona Wildlife Reserve, South Africa, and decided to capture a selfie in a highly creative way. He often takes photographs of snakes he comes across in the bush, but this was a particularly unusual one
One man has risked his life to take the ultimate selfie - with a highly poisonous snake.
Nature guide Gerhard van der Westhuizen, 26, from Cape Town, South Africa, snapped his reflection in the eye of a boomslang.
The species' venom is considered more dangerous than cobras, or the infamous black mamba - and can cause internal bleeding in humans.
Gerhard, who has been an amateur photographer for the last four years, was called to remove the boomslang from the garden of the lodge where he lives. He picked up the snake with his bare hands and moved it to a nearby bush, before deciding to snap a few images
Gerhard has a certificate for handling snakes as well as all the equipment, and has experience with cape cobras, puff adders and coral snakes as well as boomslang. His knowledge of how boomslang behave and the telltale signs of agitation is an advantage as it allows him to gauge how close he can go
Living and working in the bush, Gerhard has come across boomslang many times and is extremely comfortable being close to these dangerous animals. He often handles them with just his bare hands - much to his wife's dismay
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