As a child, Adam Sapiano loved being in touch with Australian fauna, but he never dreamed he’d work with its inhabitants up close.
“Growing up, I was always an outdoors kind of kid. I spent a lot of time down the river looking for blue tongued lizards, but I never thought I’d grow up as a snake catcher,” Adam says.
Working with reptiles daily requires special skills and courses, but for Adam it’s all been worth it.
“Snake catching started as a hobby. I’ve kept venomous and non-venomous snakes as pets for a number of years and I became a snake catcher three years ago.
“At the start, I would catch snakes for people on my days off, but now it’s a full-time service.
“There’s courses available in venomous snake-handling recommended for people who want to take on that job. They’re also required to be licensed by the Department of Sustainability and Environment.”
Adam is a wildlife controller who covers most of Melbourne’s western suburbs, but he says he’ll travel anywhere to catch a snake.
“Calls generally come from someone who has found a snake in their backyard or inside the house. Once I’ve caught the snake, it’s relocated to a safe environment for the public and the snake’s sake.”
Adam says there’s no typical week for him, but as snake catching is seasonal, once the weather warms up he can get up to six calls a day.
“I have calls for tiger snakes in bedrooms, toilets, front and backyards, roofs and on the beach. I’ve been called out at 2am to catch what ended up being a rubber snake.”
Career highlights include catching five snakes in one day.
“One of the most memorable days was catching two tiger snakes, one in Hoppers Crossing, the other in Werribee, and three copperheads in Kyneton, Woodend and Lancefield.”
Adam says releasing snakes into their natural environment is the most rewarding aspect.
“It’s good to know I’ve done my bit to help keep both the public and the snakes safe from harm.”
Despite his hobby turning into a career, Adam spends his spare time caring for a private reptile collection.
“I keep pythons, elapids (venomous snakes), monitors (goannas) and dragons.”
