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Police seal off Melbourne city street with deadly tiger snake on the loose

A curious snake has caused chaos around Melbourne's CBD with police forced to cordon off part of a street outside a major railway station.

Police were forced to close part of a footpath near near Southern Cross Station on Thursday about 12pm after a venomous tiger snake was spotted slithering down the street.

The snake was shown off to the crowd before one of Spencer Street's southbound lanes was reopened to traffic after 1pm.

Snake Catcher Victoria's Barry Goldsmith told Yahoo7 the serpent was about 90cm long.

Part of the street outside Southern Cross Station gets cordoned off as authorities try to remove a tiger snake. Source: Twitter/ Jodi Lee
Part of the street outside Southern Cross Station gets cordoned off as authorities try to remove a tiger snake. Source: Twitter/ Jodi Lee

"I've been out to the CBD a few times to get escaped pythons," he said.

"But this is the first time I've gone out to the city for a tiger snake."

Mr Goldsmith said a passer-by told him the snake dropped out from underneath a car.

He added people in the city were "very lucky" not to get bitten.

"It was scared and injured - I'm taking it to the vet right now," he said.

"But it was scared and in a lot of pain, and when snakes feel that way they become very dangerous and they bite."

Mr Goldsmith managed to wrangle in the snake at about 1.20pm. He believes it may have been hit by a car.

Snake Catcher Victoria's Barry Goldsmith wrangles in the snake: Source: Jodi Lee/ City of Melbourne
Snake Catcher Victoria's Barry Goldsmith wrangles in the snake: Source: Jodi Lee/ City of Melbourne

It's not clear how the reptile got into the CBD.

Australian National Geographic ranked the tiger snake as the third most dangerous in the country, and added they are "responsible for the second-highest number of bites in Australia, as they inhabit highly populated areas along the east coast, including some metropolitan areas of Melbourne".

Bites are fatal if not treated, with venom damaging the blood and muscles. The venom also causes breathing difficulties, paralysis and kidney failure.

The tiger snake was injured and scared according to the snake catcher. Source: City of Melbourne
The tiger snake was injured and scared according to the snake catcher. Source: City of Melbourne