Suburban street under siege as snake plague rears up
Residents of a suburban street in Melbourne say they are under siege from a plague of deadly snakes.
In recent weeks, three pet dogs have been killed and a woman attacked while putting out her bins is lucky to have survived.
When Barbara McDougall went to take out her bin she never expected to find a one-metre tiger snake hiding behind it.
“I’ve gone to move it and the thing has jumped out from here and latched onto my foot,” she said.
“I’m yelling at it and shaking m leg and eventually it went.”
The bite left Ms McDougall with a deep wound. Her neighbours rushed her to hospital where she spent three days recovering.
“It stung. I recall it stinging more than anything,” she said.
“Just the sight of seeing this thing on my leg, that was the worst part.”
Experts say the snake was probably lying under the bin to keep cool, and it would have attacked out of fear.
“He could have seen the lady coming and ducked under there because snakes are very scared of people, so they will always try to retreat from us if they can,” snake catcher Barry Goldsmith said.
“The main reason people are seeing more of them is because we are running out of bushland for the snakes to hide in.”
Residents of this court have long complained about snakes and for good reason.
Just weeks before Ms McDougall was bitten, three of her neighbours dogs were killed all within days of each other.
“It seems to be a big problem this year, and they seem to be getting bigger,” vet Bob Cavey said.
"The quicker the dog is taken to the vet and treated with antivenin the better the chances [of recovery]."
And with the snake that attacked her still on the loose, Ms McDougall has urged other to be proactive.
“It’s nature and there’s nothing much you can do about it, just be aware there’s a problem and be very careful,” she said.
