This investigation by The Wild Truth examines a highly unusual predation sequence in The Secret World of Snakes (also broadcast as The Hidden World of Snakes on Nat Geo Wild). Through frame-by-frame comparison of the snakes' individual scale patterns and markings, we believe the footage shows the same snouted cobra killing two different Mozambique spitting cobras, presented in the programme as a single natural encounter. If correct, this would strongly suggest that captive animals were deliberately brought together to create the sequence. We’ve laid out the evidence below and would particularly welcome comments from people with expertise in snake identification, behaviour, or wildlife filmmaking who can independently assess the findings.

Production: The Secret World of Snakes, 2026, Episode 2
Production Company: Lion Mountain Media
Co-production: Bomanbridge Media / China Media Group
Broadcast: Nat Geo Wild (as The Hidden World of Snakes)
Executive Producers: Sonia Fleck, Carl Hall
Series Producer / Director / Director of Photography: Peter Lamberti
Producer / Writer: Kira Ivanoff

Sources of Evidence

Frame grabs from The Secret World of Snakes Episode 2 publicly broadcast on Nat Geo Wild and other channels.

Introduction

This report examines a sequence in the wildlife documentary series The Secret World of Snakes, which is also broadcast on Nat Geo Wild under the title The Hidden World of Snakes.

The series is a co-production involving Bomanbridge Media, Lion Mountain Media, and China Media Group, and has been licensed to National Geographic for broadcast in Europe, the Middle East and Africa and Discovery for parts of Asia.

The sequence analysed in this report depicts a confrontation between a Snouted Cobra (Naja annulifera) and a Mozambique Spitting Cobra (Naja mossambica) roughly 24 minutes into episode 2 of the series. The programme presents the encounter as a single continuous predatory interaction occurring in the wild.

Our analysis of the footage indicates that the sequence likely combines footage of two different spitting cobras being killed by the same snouted cobra. This strongly suggests that the scene was staged using captive animals.

Observations

Frame-by-frame analysis

The sequence was examined frame-by-frame in order to identify visible anatomical features and markings on the snakes involved. Note that the time codes here are taken from The Secret World of Snakes and will differ slightly from The Hidden World of Snakes due to the shorter intro sequence of that show.

Screen captures

High-resolution frame grabs were taken from key moments in the sequence, including:

The snouted cobra during the water sequence at 00:24:46

The snouted cobra during the land sequence at 00:25:23

The spitting cobra during the water sequence at 00:25:08

The spitting cobra during the land sequence at 00:25:29

These images are included in this report to allow direct comparison of scale patterns and markings.

Morphological comparison

Snake scale patterns and markings are unique to individual animals and can be used to distinguish between individuals. Visible scale arrangements, colour patterns, and other markings were compared between the water and land portions of the sequence.

Evidence of Staged Predation

Comparison of the snakes visible in the water and land sequences reveals the following:

Snouted cobra

Distinctive scale arrangements and markings on the attacking snake match across both the water and land footage. These features are consistent and indicate that the same individual snouted cobra appears in both parts of the sequence.

Spitting cobra

In contrast, the spitting cobra visible in the water sequence does not match the spitting cobra visible in the land sequence. Differences in scale patterning and markings show that two different individuals are present.

Implications

The sequence therefore depicts:

• one individual snouted cobra
• killing two different spitting cobras

Predatory interactions between cobras are extremely rarely observed in the wild. Observing even a single instance of one cobra killing another would be considered an exceptional event, and capturing such an interaction at close range on film would be highly unusual.

The probability of filming two separate predatory encounters between the same species is therefore incredibly unlikely.

But two predatory encounters involving the exact same individual predator but two different prey individuals of the same species, is practically impossible in a natural setting.

Conclusion

The evidence presented above indicates that the sequence combines footage of two different spitting cobras being killed by the same snouted cobra.

The most plausible explanation is that these interactions were staged using captive animals, with individuals intentionally introduced to create a filmed confrontation ending in the death of two spitting cobras.

If this interpretation is correct, the sequence represents the deliberate staging of a lethal interaction between animals and the presentation of that interaction as a naturally occurring wild event.

If you’re interested in wildlife filmmaking, animal welfare and ethics, this is worth looking at closely. We have identified what appears to be substantial, independently verifiable evidence that scenes presented as wild behaviour in The Secret World of Snakes, broadcast by National Geographic as The Hidden World of Snakes, were actually filmed under controlled conditions, including apparent predation involving live feeder animals. The post below documents the first four sequences of Episode 1, matching broadcast footage frame-by-frame with publicly available behind-the-scenes material. We are posting the evidence so that others can examine it for themselves and reach their own conclusions.

Production: The Secret World of Snakes, 2026, Episode 1
Production Company: Lion Mountain Media
Co-production: Bomanbridge Media / China Media Group
Broadcast: Nat Geo Wild (as The Hidden World of Snakes)
Executive Producers: Sonia Fleck, Carl Hall
Series Producer / Director / Director of Photography: Peter Lamberti
Producer / Writer: Kira Ivanoff

Sources of Evidence

Frame grabs from The Secret World of Snakes Episode 1 publicly broadcast on Nat Geo Wild and other channels.

Public Facebook posts by The Living Vivarium & Inmates Pet Shop who are credited at the end of The Secret World of Snakes. After we contacted the pet shop, these posts were deleted, but we have verifiable copies available.

Introduction

This report examines the first four sequences in the wildlife documentary series The Secret World of Snakes, which is also broadcast on Nat Geo Wild under the title The Hidden World of Snakes.

Episode 1, Scene 1

Location: “Brazil — Amazon Forests”
Species: South American Boa

On 18 April 2025, The Living Vivarium & Inmates Pet Shop (https://thelivingvivarium.co.za/) posted a series of 13 behind-the-scenes photos to Facebook with the text:

“Another day of filming done! Always fun doing these sorts of shoots #filming #wildlifedocumentary #snakes #reptiles #southamerica”

Source: https://www.facebook.com/livingvivarium/posts/pfbid0:59BsnH3p5ty18w3DRDLxHjeRD9MkoiPYadhEz3Y5wztTWH2jvTz2X2UWwKTpBbxl (removed)

The Living Vivarium & Inmates Pet Shop Facebook Post

We have matched several of these images with Scene 1 in Episode 1. First we will consider two of the images posted to Facebook:

https://preview.redd.it/8452dis7v4kh1.jpg?width=1440&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=1e783edfb14c7fe56e07bf6feb0c772a809fc51b

https://preview.redd.it/wmqnb8qav4kh1.jpg?width=1440&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=0a995a27789d2f14dfce38f3358d30357435d7ed

And the following frame grabs from The Secret World of Snakes Episode 1. Note that the time codes here are taken from The Secret World of Snakes and will differ slightly from The Hidden World of Snakes due to the shorter intro sequence of that show.

The Secret World of Snakes 00:03:31

The Secret World of Snakes 00:03:44

Observations

The close-up of the camera screen in the behind-the-scenes image perfectly matches the on-screen shot in the episode. The snake position and markings on the branch match exactly with the Facebook images.

The strike sequence occurs on the same branch, indicating the predation sequence was not filmed at a different location.

The predation shots in Scene 1 were likely filmed at The Living Vivarium pet shop by Lion Mountain Media.

Episode 1, Scene 2

Location: “Brazil — Pantanal”
Species: Yellow Anaconda

Using the same Facebook post as reference, we identify behind-the-scenes imagery matching Episode 1 at timestamp 00:06:43. Here is the image posted to Facebook:

https://preview.redd.it/s9tuecxsv4kh1.jpg?width=1440&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=5abe1e3d245e778e0d7b7fcf68d701b95d67b3e1

And the following frame grab is from Secret World of Snakes.

The Secret World of Snakes Episode 1 00:06:43

Observations

The environment and snake clearly match the behind-the-scenes photograph.

While no predation occurs in this scene, it was likely filmed at The Living Vivarium in a staged setting. We do not object to the filming of captive animals where they are treated ethically; however, such scenes should be clearly disclosed in the programme credits. No such disclosure appeared initially in either The Secret World of Snakes or The Hidden World of Snakes when it was initially broadcast, although it was added at a later date.

Episode 1, Scene 3

Location: “Colombia — Choco Rainforest”
Species: Eyelash Viper

Here we again rely on an image from the same Facebook post as Scene 1.

https://preview.redd.it/coldioqrw4kh1.jpg?width=1440&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=32e37f6bdb9359aa960dd09a3fecd6156edcbdec

And the following frame grabs are from The Secret World of Snakes Episode 1.

The Secret World of Snakes Episode 1 00:10:22

The Secret World of Snakes Episode 1 00:10:42

Observations

The snake and its environment match exactly. The voiceover describes the prey as “an old disoriented mouse”; however, the animal appears to be a very young feeder mouse displaying no natural flight response. It is clearly not a wild rodent. Rather than fleeing, the mouse approaches and sniffs the snake, behaviour that is highly inconsistent with that of a wild rodent encountering a predator.

Scene 3 was almost certainly filmed in a controlled setting with the assistance of The Living Vivarium and includes predation.

Episode 1, Scene 4

Location: “Colombia — Orinoquia Region”
Species: South American rattlesnake

Here we again rely on an image from the same Facebook post as Scene 1.

https://preview.redd.it/0jme6jmjx4kh1.jpg?width=1440&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=19c6b19cf51528a066f60f231467790f0b849bd6

And the following frame grabs are from The Secret World of Snakes Episode 1.

The Secret World of Snakes Episode 1 00:12:24

The Secret World of Snakes Episode 1 00:13:22

Observations

The snake and environment match the behind-the-scenes photo. A stick present under the snake in the behind-the-scenes image appears in front of the snake in the episode; a yellow leaf at the stick’s end provides a clear positional match.

The mouse does not appear to be a wild rodent. It shows no apparent fear of the rattlesnake and approaches it rather than displaying the flight response typical of wild prey animals.

This predation scene was almost certainly staged at or with the assistance of The Living Vivarium, most likely by Lion Mountain Media.

“Controlled Conditions”

Following our reporting and after the series had already been broadcast by National Geographic, Lion Mountain Media and Bomanbridge Media added the following disclaimer to the end credits of the episode:

“Some sequences were filmed under controlled conditions. All scenes represent accurate animal behaviour.”

This disclosure confirms that at least some material presented in the programme was not filmed in the wild. However, it does not identify which sequences were filmed under controlled conditions, nor does it disclose whether any predation scenes involving live animals were staged.

The evidence presented above indicates that the first four sequences in the episode were all filmed under controlled conditions, with three of those four depicting predation. A scene-by-scene assessment of the episode reveals that evidence of controlled filming or staged predation extends far beyond those opening sequences:

https://preview.redd.it/ag8d5plaz4kh1.jpg?width=1142&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=a7b6035bb0fb88b256c008790cfd1c5e1a9a32a1

Of the sixteen sequences in this episode, only two do not depict predation. One is the Great Barrier Reef sequence featuring the Banded Sea Krait, for which we found no evidence of staging or controlled filming. The other is the Yellow Anaconda sequence, which does not depict predation but for which we found conclusive evidence that it was filmed under controlled conditions. Every other sequence in the episode depicts predation or an attempted predation event. In each case the prey animal appears to be a domestic or captive species rather than a naturally occurring wild animal, further reinforcing concerns that these scenes were filmed under controlled conditions rather than documenting spontaneous events in the wild.

Overall Assessment

This report presents verifiable photographic evidence and timestamped frame comparisons directly linking on-screen footage from the first four scenes of Episode 1 of The Secret World of Snakes to behind-the-scenes images of clearly staged setups. These scenes were most likely filmed by Lion Mountain Media at or near The Living Vivarium & Inmates pet shop in Johannesburg, South Africa. Three of these scenes depict predation involving the intentional killing of live mammals.

When considering these findings, bear in mind the evidence indicating that the staging occurred in South Africa — where staging predation for entertainment contravenes animal cruelty regulations.