Dangerous jobs: Snake catcher shares some of his wild tales
Richie Gilbert has one of the most dangerous jobs in the world.
The Queensland snake catcher, based on the Sunshine Coast, is often faced with the deadliest snakes on earth but he shrugs his shoulders at the suggestion that his job might be “too dangerous”.
To him it’s just another day on the job and someone has to do it.
Richie has been catching snakes and releasing them into the wild since he was five years old.
Since he took on the role of local hero full time, he’s found snakes underneath pillows, in childcare centres, in bottle shops, hospitals, supermarket trolleys, cars and more.
And while he’s fearlessly found himself face to face with an Eastern Brown Snake many a time, he’s not concerned about the risk.
To him he’s helping out his community and keeping misplaced wildlife safe too.
Since he started sharing his snake adventures on Facebook, Mr Gilbert has gained a strong following.
Below are some of Richie’s best call outs for help that will probably leave you checking under your bed and behind the fridge more often.
You know it's time to call a snake catcher when...
1. A carpet python takes up residence in your car:
A Mooloolah resident received the fright of her life after lifting up the bonnet of her boyfriend’s car on Tuesday.
Sunshine Coast Snake Catcher Richie Gilbert came to the rescue after the woman discovered a carpet python coiled around the vehicle’s engine.
In a video posted on Facebook, Mr Gilbert can be seen untangling the animal before holding it on display.
The experience snake handler says the animals often find cars to be a warm and dark place to hide during winter and urged drivers to check their car bonnets before heading of in the morning.
"Imagine how many car owners head off to work in the morning with a sneaky snake under the hood and don't even realise?" Mr Gilbert wrote in the Facebook post.
"Maybe we should make it mandatory to check under the hood before we drive our cars here in Queensland.”
2. When a 2m Eastern Brown Snake decides to chase a rat under the house:
3. When a carpet python nicknamed ‘Mike Tyson’ tries to bite your face off because it’s eaten a ten year old galah and doesn’t want to be touched because it’s feeling full:
4. When a brown snake decides to go for a quick dip in the pool and gets stuck:
5. When some kids try to remove a red bellied black snake with a broom and make it super angry:
6. When a goanna keeps stealing your chicken eggs:
7. When a keelback snake decides to hangout under the fridge because it’s scared of a big storm:
8. When a tree snake eats a water dragon whole and decides to loiter outside the local shops:
9. When an eastern brown wants to hangout at the local pharmacy but isn’t invited:
10. When a 9-foot python decides to eat your 30-year-old bird named Bundy:
11. When a snake decides to pretend to be a fire hose:
Follow more of Richie's moments at Sunshine Coast Snake Catchers Facebook.
