Tourist's wild reaction to venomous snake on Aussie hike: 'I'm sacrificing you all'
The Canadian woman's close encounter with a venomous brown snake caused her to run, despite advise from her tour guide.
Australia has garnered quite a reputation when it comes to its diverse flora and fauna. But nothing gets international visitors going more than a close encounter with one of the world's most venomous creatures.
Canadian woman Katie Bunton experienced this firsthand while enjoying a hike in Western Australia recently during her travels Down Under. But it didn't end well for the mum of two who came within metres of a deadly brown snake.
The western variety, which is widespread over most of mainland Australia, is extremely venomous much like its eastern relative which is "responsible for most [snake] deaths in Australia", professional snake handler Chris Williams previously told Yahoo News.
They're known to get "easily agitated and will readily defend themselves". That's why it's advised to back away slowly to avoid being seen as a threat.
"We definitely always recommend a bit of common sense when it comes to snakes. If you see a snake, keep a safe distance. You can give it a chance to move on itself if it's outside," Stuart McKenzie, of Sunshine Coast Snake Catchers 24/7 previously explained.
The same advice was given by the tour guide in the video. "If you ever found yourself in a situation where you're this close to a venomous snake, all you need to do is move really slowly backwards. They just react to movement," he said.
The video shows a group of people walking on a track surrounded by long grass and bushland. On the edge of a path lies a curled-up brown snake. "I'm closer than anyone ever should be to one of these", the guide warned.
He then advised what to do if ever anyone comes across one in the wild. But it appears fear got in the way for Katie who was seen swiftly backing away out of panic.
"Are you for real? No, no, no. Absolutely not," she's heard saying in the video as she makes a quick getaway. "I'm sacrificing you all. I could tell this was a snakey place".
"There's a venomous snake. The tour guide literally just said, back away slowly, and I ran, she added.
Tourist's reaction to deadly brown snake angers Aussies
Her reaction appeared to rub Aussies the wrong way with many criticising her for ignoring the tour guide's advice.
"Why do you run?" one questioned. "Why not listen to the expert," another said. Some suggested her reaction could have "put others in danger".
One local shared their own close encounter with a venomous brown snake, admitting they "made the mistake of moving too quickly".
"The snake struck out at me," they explained. "Thankfully it was on a slope and it instead tumbled down the hill away from me.
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