Latest news with #UrbanReptileRemoval
Yahoo
5 days ago
- General
- Yahoo
Mysterious find in Woolworths car park wall sparks Aussie dad's rescue mission
A Woolworths shopper was mystified by a discovery in a supermarket car park on Monday night. Chris Williams was unloading his groceries into the boot of his car when he noticed something inside a hole smashed in the wall. 'My wife sent me down for bread and milk,' the Sydney dad told Yahoo News. 'I was steadying the trolley against the wall, and then inside one of the fist-sized holes, I saw a reptile sleeping. I genuinely had to do a double take, I didn't expect that at all.' While most customers hurrying to get home from the West Ryde shopping centre car park wouldn't have known how to respond, as luck would have it, Williams is a reptile expert. Not only is he the founder of Urban Reptile Removal, he's the president of the Australian Herpetological Society. Of course, Williams was immediately able to identify the species that was sleeping soundly in the hole as an Australian native water dragon. Because darkness had fallen, the animal had its eyes closed and was easy to rescue. 'He was sound asleep in that cavity. I was able to squeeze my hand through and grab him by the back of the head,' Williams said. 'But he came to life much more enthusiastically than I expected him to. So for a minute, I was a bit concerned he was going to wriggle out from under my fingers and disappear into the cavity.' The lizard was found deep within the ground-level car park — a dangerous place for a lizard to be. With the shopping centre surrounded by houses, roads and very little green space, Williams admits to being stumped by where he may have come from. 'I still haven't come up with any logical reason,' he said. 'He looks in really good condition, but I don't know how long he'd been there for." While snakes often end up in shopping centres after hitching rides in cars, Williams believes this behaviour would be less likely with a water dragon. 📸 Aussie property owner's moment of 'terror' after discovery on trail camera 🦎 Rare animal hiding in outback photo helps solve decades-long mystery 🏡 Secret hidden beneath Australia's 'most important' parcel of land He thinks the animal is wild rather than an escaped pet, because unlike bearded dragons, water dragons don't do well in captivity. Despite the weather getting cooler, water dragons are still active during the day and haven't entered long-term brumation, a state of dormancy similar to hibernation. Williams is now on a mission to find a place to release the dragon that's nicer than the West Ryde car park. 'I'll spend today finding somewhere nice for him to go. He'll be fine. He'll work it out,' he said. Love Australia's weird and wonderful environment? 🐊🦘😳 Get our new newsletter showcasing the week's best stories.
Yahoo
14-05-2025
- Yahoo
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.
Yahoo
10-03-2025
- Yahoo
Aussie gardeners warned after bizarre accident sees deadly creature 'chopped in half'
Aussie gardeners are being urged to take care when mowing the grass or trimming their edges after a 'sad' discovery in a western Sydney backyard. Reptile catcher Chris Williams warns snakes surprisingly still pose a danger to humans even if they've been cut in half. Video supplied by his company, Urban Reptile Removal, shows a red-bellied black snake continuing to writhe on the ground and strike after it had suffered a mortal injury inflicted by a homeowner. 'This snake was accidentally cut in half around 10 minutes ago. People would look at it and think, OK that's the end of it,' he says before picking it up. 'But a snake like this can still bite and still inject venom. And there have been several instances where people have been envenomated and ended up incredibly sick from a snake in this position.' Related: 🐍 Warning to residents in new Aussie development after deadly discovery Cold-blooded reptiles have a slower metabolism than warm-blooded mammals, so death for them can take hours. It's not uncommon to find turtles, lizards and snakes struggling on the roadside hours after they've been severely injured by a vehicle strike. Most of the calls Williams receives about snakes cut in two are linked to lawn mower or whipper snipper accidents. But the incident he attended at Stanhope Gardens last week occurred in more unusual circumstances. 'They'd originally seen the snake in the foyer of their home, and tracked it into a cupboard under the stairs. Sadly, about a minute before I arrived, it was leaving their home and they slammed the screen door on it and chopped him in half,' Williams told Yahoo. ☺️ Aussies urged to fit $7 'lifesaving' Bunnings device to homes 🔎 12,000km outback search for eight missing rare animals ☠️ Call for answers after poison found buried in endangered predator's habitat All native reptiles are protected and it's illegal to harm them. Snake bites are rare in Australia, but when they do occur, the victims are overwhelmingly men who try to move or kill them. Williams receives several calls a year, from NSW residents who have accidentally killed a snake while gardening. It's important people don't try and move injured venomous snakes themselves as the snake will be traumatised and dangerous. But also in need of medical attention. 'If it can be treated by a vet, that's our first course of action. If that's not possible, sadly the snake needs to be euthanised,' he said. Love Australia's weird and wonderful environment? 🐊🦘😳 Get our new newsletter showcasing the week's best stories.
Yahoo
03-03-2025
- General
- Yahoo
Warning to residents in new Aussie development after deadly discovery: 'On the move'
A discovery inside a suburban home has prompted a warning to Aussies moving into new developments. Cooling itself on the shiny white floor was one of the world's deadliest land snakes, an eastern brown. 'He caught me by surprise, I took half a step into the kitchen and then saw him cross the floor,' 24-year-old resident Hunter told Yahoo News. Large numbers of homes in the northwest Sydney suburb of Box Hill are only a few months old, and sit on what was once farmland. In Australia, animals like koalas are moved away when developers move in, but reptiles are often left to try and eke out an existence in what remains of their former grassland habitat. Chris Williams, the founder of Urban Reptile Removal, was called out to catch the eastern brown last week. When he arrived, the snake was hiding under a drinks cabinet, struggling to move across the slippery tiles. 'It couldn't really get a grip, so it was reluctant to move around. It felt safest tucked up against the drinks cabinet rather than trying to leave the home,' he told Yahoo News. When the drinks cabinet was pulled away the snake acted defensively, throwing itself around erratically. You can watch the eastern brown try to escape in the video below. Williams waited for the 80cm-long juvenile to settle down, and then was able to use his hook to get him into the net. It's believed the snake crawled inside to escape the heat after Hunter accidentally left his garage door open. Having grown up in Australia, it's not something he'd ever do on purpose. 'I've had them in the backyard before, but one getting in the house is new,' he said. Related: 😳 Warning to Aussies after dad captures eastern brown on driveway Many of the callouts Williams receives about catching snakes in the western suburbs of Sydney are from new residents to Australia. And he wants to warn them about risks they could be unwittingly taking, particularly in areas close to open land. 'In summer, in these new estates, residents need to know snakes are going to be on the move, and to take precautions,' he said. 'With many new Australians, the custom is to have shoes out of your house on racks, and they're a great place for snakes to hide. And leaving doors open, especially during hot weather, is an open invitation to them.' 🐍 Surprise reason 'record' number of snakes left to hatch 🏗️ Aussie residents fearful of 50-metre 'toxic' towers ❌ Call for answers after poison found buried in forest Eastern browns are the second-most venomous land snake in Australia, after the inland taipan. While they have a reputation for being aggressive, they're actually more of a defensive reptile with a habitat of striking and puffing themselves up to avoid being killed by humans. In Australia, all native reptiles are protected and it is an offence to harm them. Anyone with a snake inside their home is urged to contact a licensed reptile handler. Love Australia's weird and wonderful environment? 🐊🦘😳 Get our new newsletter showcasing the week's best stories.
Yahoo
17-02-2025
- General
- Yahoo
Snake catcher's 'mind blowing' find in cafe bathroom amid warning over spate of hospitalisations
Is nowhere safe in Australia, not even the toilet? That's what a chef at a Sydney cafe was left asking on the weekend after his well-earned break was interrupted by an unnerving intruder. Curled up behind the toilet was a find so odd that even one of the city's most prolific snake catchers was left surprised. Chris Williams from Urban Reptile Removal is used to seeing diamond pythons, tree snakes and even the occasional red-belly around Lindfield, but adult eastern brown snakes are much rarer in the leafy upper North Shore suburb. 'It was mind-blowing. For it to have ended up in Linfield was surprising. For it to end that up in a cafe, was even more surprising. But then finding it in the toilet took the cake,' he told Yahoo News. Right down to the moment Williams opened the door, he had been expecting something other than an eastern brown. But there was no mistaking the unique movements of this highly venomous and defensive species, which you can see in the video below. "When I opened the door it sat up and assumed that characteristic eastern brown snake stance. It was twisting its body into an S-shape and opening its mouth, looking very distressed,' he said. Related: Bizarre snake mystery on top of mum's car Although the snake was puffing out its neck like a cobra to make itself seem larger, the tiles it was resting on were cold and this slowed down its movement. 'Despite its best efforts, it was reasonably subdued. And it looked like it had just eaten a pretty big meal.' The snake was released a short distance away at an undisclosed location. "It was well away from houses and people. It was an adult snake, and missing part of its tail, and if it's taken 10 years to cross paths with people, I think it has a good chance of survival," he said. Eastern brown snakes can be hard for your average Joe to identify because they come in almost every shade of brown. Babies can be an even bigger challenge because they're striped and have cute little eyes – two weeks ago a father of four almost picked one up thinking it was a python. The species is one of the most feared in Australia. It has an unfair reputation for being aggressive because it can be highly defensive when it feels threatened. And after the inland taipan, it's the second-most venomous land snake in the country. 🐸 Cane toads everywhere on Aussie building site 🦈 Why sharks are regularly bitten in half near Sydney beaches 🔎 Major change discovered in 200 Queensland crocodiles Finding a snake in your toilet is relatively rare in Australia. But last year Yahoo revealed extreme weather resulted in a slight increase in this occurring. In Queensland, there was a surge in snake attack cases over the weekend with seven people admitted to hospital. But deaths from bites in Australia are rare and this is helped in part by good access to antivenin — only one or two people die here each year compared to 50,000 to 60,000 in India. When bites do occur here, it's nearly always men who fall victim. According to Melbourne University research, around a fifth of them had tried to pick the snake up. Love Australia's weird and wonderful environment? 🐊🦘😳 Get our new newsletter showcasing the week's best stories.
