Tate Papworth
Three venomous Eastern brown snakes discovered on the Western Ring Road last week gave a group of road workers the shock of their lives.
The workers opened up a manhole near the EJ Whitten Bridge and discovered the trio of deadly reptiles curled up at the bottom.
Not wasting any time, they called veteran snake catcher Raymond Hoser who made short work of the situation.
Mr Hoser said snakes aren’t uncommon in the area and they were likely hibernating.
“It’s somewhat unusual to see them in a group like that, but they were in a good spot to hibernate for the winter,” he said.
“They were pretty placid, they were more interested in each other than me, so I was able to remove them with my hands pretty easily.
“Removing them with my hands rather than tools is a method I prefer because it’s less likely to injure the animal.”
“I catch over 500 deadly snakes a year, I’ve been doing this for decades… I know if a snake poses a risk, like a mechanic when he looks at car.”
Mr Hoser, the first licensed snake catcher in Australia, said the COVID-19 lockdown has resulted in more call-outs than usual this winter.
“With the lockdown, people are at home cleaning and moving stuff and they’re finding them. I’ve been getting calls for three to four a week when it’s normally one a week in winter. I had three in three days last week.”
Mr Hoser had one piece of advice for anyone who encounters a snake at their property.
“If you see one, just leave it alone. You’ll only need a catcher if it’s hanging around or if you’ve got dogs or something.”
The snakes uncovered at the bridge were released in an area away from houses.
