Workers at a shop in Springfield, Durban, were left speechless when they arrived at work last Wednesday and found things out of place.

“The workers had walked in and noticed things had fallen off the shelf,” KwaZulu-Natal snake catcher Nick Evans confirmed.

The staff were surprised because when they left work on Tuesday the shelves had been neatly packed.

Looking for answers, management decided to check the surveillance footage.

“That’s when they saw the mamba, a big black mamba,” Evans said.

In the CCTV footage, the snake can be seen slithering through the shelves.

The shop owners quickly called Evans for help.

“I went and had a look, but it was gone,” he said.

After inspecting the shelves, Evans discovered a crack in the wall.

He said the snake had likely slithered out through the opening.

Evans said the shop was located near the Umgeni River and the snake had probably made its way into the nearby bush.