Elderly woman's deadly find in bathroom of Queensland home
Many people do not think venomous snakes can climb, but one eastern brown has proved them wrong and left an elderly woman terrified in the process.
The venomous reptile slithered into the 75-year-old’s ensuite where she spotted the snake draped over the vanity in her home at Cabarlah in the Toowoomba region, west of Brisbane.
The woman, who lives alone, was “absolutely panicked” and not knowing who to call, dialled triple-zero.
Authorities gave her a couple of numbers for snake catchers but she could not find someone to help her, so she called her son who contacted Toowoomba Snake Catchers 24/7.
By the time licensed snake catcher Ally Wilkinson arrived, the woman was “sitting out the front of her house beside herself”, and the six-foot snake was not so easy to find.
“She’s run me through where she’d seen it, but it wasn’t on the vanity anymore and I was looking at the ground,” Ms Wilkinson told Yahoo7.
“I walked past it a couple of times … didn’t see it at first. I heard a hiss and looked up and noticed it had weaved through the top of the blinds there.”
Ms Wilkinson said she then gave the venomous reptile a bit of a jiggle and it made its way down the blinds.
It then tried to hide in a wire bin but failed. The snake catcher said it launched back towards her and ended up under the bed.
“It will come towards you if they are cornered and head in the opposite direction as quick as it can,” she said.
Ms Wilkinson also explained venomous snakes are just as equipped to climb as other types of snakes.
“I would just assume it was trying to look for a way to get out, and the window being a source of light drew his attention. It may have felt a lot safer hiding high as well,” Ms Wilkinson said.
It is believed this thirsty eastern brown entered through the front door of the home before making its way to the sink where the woman leaves water for her cat.
The elderly resident felt relieved when the reptile, which she initially believed was a red-bellied black snake because of its dark colour, was no longer making itself comfortable in her home.
“I think that put her off a bit more. Eastern browns are much more venomous and dangerous than a red belly is,” Ms Wilkinson said.
The snake catcher is reminding people to keep their eyes peeled for any unwelcome visitors.
“Keep doors and windows closed so they can avoid the surprise of a snake in the house,” she added.
“A lot of their habitat getting destroyed and they are encroaching on our spaces.”
And for those who come across one, the snake catcher said keep an eye on it and give a professional snake catcher a call.
