Deadly find on roadside in iconic Aussie suburb sparks wild theory: 'Extremely rare'
A metre-long venomous snake was spotted crossing a busy road and heading east towards Australia's iconic Bondi Beach. It was the second of two incredible reptile discoveries made by a Sydney-based reptile catcher on Wednesday.
Local resident Tim was driving down Old South Head Road, a busy stretch that intersects the beachside mecca with the nation's most expensive suburb Bellevue Hill. His girlfriend Lara only noticed the reptile because a woman was surprisingly trying to guide it onto the footpath with a stick.
'I said, there's no way someone is trying to push a snake off a road in Bondi, but it turns out she was,' he told Yahoo News.
Having grown up in country Victoria, Tim has handled a few snakes in his time. So he pulled a quick U-turn and jumped out of his car to help. He was expecting to find a harmless tree snake or python, but instead he found himself staring at a red-bellied blacksnake.
While a bite from the species can cause lifelong harm, including organ damage and altered taste sensation, its venom hasn't killed a human in Australia for decades. And while the snakes are generally shy, they will strike if provoked.
Related: Bondi erupts over council's plan to axe towering tree that damaged driveway
Knowing his limitations, Tim stepped back and watched on as the woman Michelle guided the snake down Hall Street and towards the base tree. It was after 2pm and he was worried kids would be leaving school soon, meaning the snake could pose a danger. The police and a wildlife rescue group were unable to help, so he called a professional reptile handler for help.
'I'd rather not read an article in Yahoo News that said a kid was bitten because I was too much of a tight-arse to pay for a snake catcher,' he quipped.
'So I offered to pay. And then Michelle said, I'll go you halves. There was another guy named Tyson there who was walking his dog and didn't want it to get bitten, so he offered to go thirds.'
Urban Reptile Removal founder Chris Williams spoke to Yahoo News after securing the wild animal. The veteran snake handler and Australian Herpetological Society president has a detailed knowledge of where red-bellies live, and there are no recent records of them in Bondi Beach.
'It was an unseasonably warm day, and I guess it wasn't the only tourists soaking up the rays in Bondi Beach,' he said.
He shared a simple theory about how it made its way into the suburb.
'Finding one in Bondi is extremely rare, so rare in fact it wouldn't be a Bondi local — red-bellies can't afford that kind of real estate,' he joked.
'It would be a translocation. Red-bellies are known for being a species that's quite good at hitching a ride on the bottom of cars, so I'd say that's how he ended up there.'
Because the species is no longer found in the suburb, it posed an increased danger to residents and their pets.
'Never underestimate the bravado of a 10-year-old. There's always the chance one is going to do a Steve Irwin impersonation and grab it,' he said.
'But if it hadn't been picked up, and we're talking about negative scenarios, it would have been a curious dog that put its nose too close and copped a bite. And of course the vets around Bondi aren't going to have snake bite immediately on their radar.
'Vets can easily misdiagnose the symptoms and attribute them to something else. In a place like Bondi, you'd imagine they'd have a whole shopping list of options before they worked their way to snake bite, and by that time it might be too late for the dog.
Disturbing photos emerge of famous orcas linked to 'dangerous myth' of luxury boat attacks
Tense moment rare 35kg creature lowered into remote Aussie forest
Item found among human skulls sheds new light on ancient civilisation
Remarkably, the red-belly wasn't the strangest rescue Chris attended on Wednesday. Over in the Dundas Valley near Parramatta, he was called out to help after a cat attacked a 70cm tiger snake.
'I'm not sure if it's going to survive the cat, but a tiger snake in an established suburb like that is a big deal for snake nerds,' he said.
'And for the wider reading population of Yahoo News, they should know it's a very rare find, and it's number four in the world in terms of venom, which is incredibly interesting.'
Chris believes that snake is likely part of a remnant population that's somehow survived the onset of cars, developers, and pet cats and dogs.
'A couple of years ago there was one in [nearby] Telopea, and prior to that one in North Rocks. There is a lot of bushland there that's interconnected, and I like the idea that they're able to cling onto that region,' he said.
Love Australia's weird and wonderful environment? 🐊🦘😳 Get our new newsletter showcasing the week's best stories.
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Los Angeles Times
22 minutes ago
- Los Angeles Times
Iran accused of abducting journalist's family in retaliation for war coverage
DUBAI — Iran detained the family members of an Iran International journalist Saturday in retaliation for the channel's coverage of the country's war with Israel, threatening to hold them until the journalist resigned from her position. The London-based Persian-language news channel said in a statement that it strongly condemns the abduction of its journalist's family, calling it 'an appalling act of hostage-taking aimed at coercing our colleague into resigning from their post.' 'This deeply reprehensible tactic marks a dangerous escalation in the regime's ruthless campaign to silence dissent and suppress independent journalism,' the news channel said. The detainment marks the latest example of Iran's long-standing effort to crack down not only on Iranian journalists inside the country but also those abroad who still have family and friends living in Iran. The Islamic Republic is one of the world's top jailers of journalists, according to the Committee to Protect Journalists, and in the best of times, reporters face strict restrictions. The broadcaster said that Iran's paramilitary Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps took the presenter's mother, father and younger brother to an unidentified location. The journalist, whose name the outlet did not disclose, then received a phone call from her father early Saturday, urging her to resign from her role, according to Iran International. The voices of security agents could be heard in the background telling her father what to say. 'I've told you a thousand times to resign. What other consequences do you expect?' Iran International said her father told her. 'You have to resign.' Persian-language broadcasters such as Iran International and BBC Persia have long been targets for the Islamic Republic, given that they broadcast in the native language and many Iranians, both domestically and abroad, rely on them for news, especially of the most recent Iran-Israel war amid an official internet blackout. Iran International in particular has become a target of Tehran in recent years over its programming that is critical of the theocratic government in Tehran. The Iranian government has called the news outlet a terrorist organization. One of its journalists was stabbed in 2024 in an attack suspected to have been carried out by Iran, while men were arrested in a suspected plot to target others at the channel. Amiri writes for the Associated Press.
The Hill
23 minutes ago
- The Hill
Suicide bomber strikes Syrian church near Damascus during mass
DAMASCUS, Syria (AP) — A suicide bomber in Syria on Sunday detonated himself inside a church filled with people, state television and a war monitor said. The explosion in Dweil'a in the outskirts of Damascus took place as people were praying inside the Mar Elias Church. Britain-based war monitor the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights says there were 30 people wounded and killed, but the exact numbers are unclear. Some local media reported that children were among the casualties. The attack was the first of its kind in Syria in years, and comes as Damascus under its de facto Islamist rule is trying to win the support of minorities. As President Ahmad al-Sharaa struggles to exert authority across the country, there have been concerns about the presence of sleeper cells of extremist groups in the war-torn country. Security forces and first-responders rushed to the church. An eye witness said in a video widely circulated online that the attacker came in and started to shoot at the people there before detonating an explosive vest he was wearing.
24 minutes ago
Suicide bomber strikes Syrian church near Damascus during mass
DAMASCUS, Syria -- A suicide bomber in Syria on Sunday detonated himself inside a church filled with people, state television and a war monitor said. The explosion in Dweil'a in the outskirts of Damascus took place as people were praying inside the Mar Elias Church. Britain-based war monitor the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights says there were 30 people wounded and killed, but the exact numbers are unclear. Some local media reported that children were among the casualties. The attack was the first of its kind in Syria in years, and comes as Damascus under its de facto Islamist rule is trying to win the support of minorities. As President Ahmad al-Sharaa struggles to exert authority across the country, there have been concerns about the presence of sleeper cells of extremist groups in the war-torn country. Security forces and first-responders rushed to the church. An eye witness said in a video widely circulated online that the attacker came in and started to shoot at the people there before detonating an explosive vest he was wearing.
