In October, a resident of Vale View — a rural area in Queensland, Australia — spotted an unexpected visitor in her yard. An eastern brown snake was weaving through the plants, trying to escape the woman’s ducks and chickens, who were busily chasing the startled reptile around the property.
A few hours later, while she was tidying up her bathroom, a quick movement in the doorway caught her eye. To her shock, it was the same brown snake from earlier — and this time, he had slipped inside her house and was now blocking her only way out.
Thinking quickly, she slammed the bathroom door shut. Fortunately, she still had her phone with her and immediately contacted Gunter Glaser, a seasoned snake catcher who runs Snake Catcher Darling Downs 24/7.
Calling a professional was absolutely the right move. Eastern brown snakes are one of the most dangerous species in Australia. The Australian Museum reports that they’re responsible for more fatal snakebites than any other species in the country — often because people try to harm or handle them rather than stepping back and calling an expert.
It appears the snake had crawled in through a small gap left in an exterior wall after recent plumbing work. Once indoors, he panicked and began searching frantically for a way back outside. By the time Glaser arrived, the frightened animal had ended up in the laundry room.
“It was very scared and lifted up at me,” Glaser told The Dodo. “But after a moment, it calmed down.”
Glaser carefully secured the snake, placing him into a dark capture bag before transporting him to a safer, more natural location far from homes. There, the snake was released back into the wild.
Free again, the eastern brown quickly disappeared into the vegetation — no doubt relieved to be back where he belonged.