An Aussie family’s “clever” move after discovering an unexpected and deadly intruder in their home may have saved them countless hours of frantic searching.
A woman was walking down the hallway of her suburban property in Chapman, in the ACT, last week when she accidentally startled an eastern brown snake that had slithered inside.
In an attempt to flee, the deadly reptile, which is believed to have snuck in through a small gap in the side of the garage roller door, made a beeline for the bathroom.
But once it was inside, the creature soon realised there were not many options to hide and opted for under the toilet seat.
Speaking to Yahoo News Australia, Gavin Smith with ACT Snake Removals, described the incidents as one of the “most unique and exceptional callouts” he’s ever had.
“This was the first time [the family] have had a snake in their home, so they were feeling a mixture of surprise and consternation,” he said.
“But they cleverly isolated and contained the brown snake when it entered the bathroom, and that decisive action made my job much easier.
“That said, I wasn’t expecting to find the snake actually on the toilet!”
How did the family contain the snake?
Keen not to lose sight of the snake, the family placed damp towels around the bottom of the bathroom door.
Then, they went outside and watched it desperately hunt for a hiding place through the window.
“I think they found the process simultaneously humorous, fascinating and frightening!” Gavin told Yahoo.
And they weren’t the only ones.
“It’s the first time I have ever found a snake in this specific situation, although I have collected them from inside shoes and white goods before,” the snake catcher said.
“Ordinarily, when our local snakes get inside properties, they often hide behind cupboards and under or inside things lying on the ground, so to discover one sheltering under a toilet seat is a rarity in my experience.”
After nine years in the job, Gavin said he’s never recovered a snake from a toilet before. Source: ACT Snake Removals
Aussies around the country have also shared their shock online, as well as a few dad jokes.
“Don’t remember eating that last night… oops my bad,” one man joked.
“Definitely get your bowels moving lol,” one woman said.
Others said footage of the incident has prompted them to place a sensor light in their bathroom.
Snake catchers respond to over 100 callouts in two months
It’s been a busy few months for Gavin and his team, with some intermittent quiet days during the cooler weather locally.
“The team has already worked with well over 100 snakes in and around the bush capital, with the vast majority being eastern brown snakes, which is the dangerously venomous species featured here.”
In January last year, a wave of photos of snakes hiding inside toilet bowls appeared online. At the time, wildlife rescuer Tennille Bankes told Yahoo she believes the “wild weather” over the Christmas and New Year was one of the reasons behind the phenomenon.
“The issue is the heat. They’re going wherever they can for the water,” she said.
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