A chameleon stands dead still, hoping to blend in with its surroundings when a snake gets close by. Unfortunately for the chameleon, the snake zeros in on it and strikes it rapidly. The chameleon puts up a fight, but is it enough?

Etienne Hamman and Annemarie Hamman had an exhilarating end to their day when they captured this sighting and shared the footage with LatestSightings.com.

“After a full day of spectacular sightings, which included an incredible sighting of a male leopard that we were fortunate enough to observe. We decided to head out of the Pilanesberg National Park. Little did we know that one more surprise awaited us.”

“A snake! Slithering across the road, completely oblivious to and unphased by the vehicles around it. It moved with a sense of eagerness. Suddenly it raised its head, a juvenile boomslang. That’s when we realized what was transpiring right before our eyes. On the opposite end of the road was a chameleon that was now locked in a staring contest with the snake.”

Boomslangs are highly venomous snakes that actively hunt their prey. They inject their hemotoxic venom into prey and wait for it to take effect before consuming the prey hole.

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“The chameleon immediately went into defense mode and reared. Anticipating a strike from the snake. The chameleon bravely stood its ground in the face of death. Undoubtedly, the juvenile boomslang managed to inflict a good number of deadly strikes and blows. Injecting the chameleon with venom.

Chameleon Fights Back

“The snake then moved off into some grass and, from a distance, observed its prey. Clearly, the venom was taking effect as the chameleon began swaying from side to side. The boomslang then returned for a final inspection, once satisfied that his prey was going to surely succumb to the venom shortly. The snake returned to the cover of grass on the roadside and watched on.”

—WATCH—

“The chameleon eventually made its way across the road, and once it entered the thick shrubs on the roadside, our visual was lost. Who knows if the boomslang was ever able to claim his hard-earned prize or not? Surely for us, this was a moment never to be forgotten.”

The day is never over until it’s over in the bush. Even at the very last minute of your day, you might be lucky to witness some of the most incredible sightings of your life. Always be alert and observant, and your day will come.