Urban Reptile Removal

02/06/2024

Hats off to the builders who alerted us to this Diamond python that had been living in the ceiling of this house.
Demolition stopped for a few hours so the snake could be safely relocated.

30/05/2024

A woman has been bitten by a snake in thick bushland in the North Burnett region yesterday afternoon.

It is believed the woman, aged in her 20s, was working in the forest marking trees for culling when the snake bit through her canvas gaiter protection gear.

The woman was treated for over an hour before she was airlifted to hospital in a serious but stable condition.

05/05/2024

A nice Diamond from the Northern Beaches

17/04/2024

A very full Diamond Python in Galston this afternoon. One less Ringtail Possum in the shed.
This is the 14th Diamond I've caught this season looking very full after eating a Ringtail possum. Most were in a food coma and were oblivious to what was going on around them.

23/03/2024

A lawyer says the "absolutely tragic" death of a man from a snake bite in north Queensland should be a wake-up call for businesses, as Workplace Health and Safety investigates the incident.

Jerromy Brookes, 47, had been trying to remove the reptile from the Green Leaves Early Learning centre in the Townsville suburb of Burdell on Tuesday when he was bitten multiple times on the arm.

He did not have a permit to handle or remove snakes.

After being bitten, Mr Brookes returned home, where paramedics say his wife performed first aid before he went into cardiac arrest….

….. Ms Splatt said she hoped Mr Brookes' "absolutely tragic" death would be a wake-up call for businesses.

"Hopefully, businesses will assess their action plans in relation to similar incidents that might occur, because we do live in the tropics and you often hear of snakes coming into close contact with people," she said.

"In circumstances where someone could be at risk of being injured, they need to remove anyone from that dangerous situation, and then they need to call a qualified person to assess the situation and relocate the snake."

Strict laws for snake handling

Under Queensland law, people removing snakes require a damage mitigation permit.

It allows native wildlife to be removed that is causing a threat to human health or wellbeing, in a safe and humane manner.

To obtain a permit, a person must "demonstrate knowledge and experience in the biology and safe handling of wildlife".

The death of Townsville father-of-three Jerromy Brookes from a snake bite has raised broader questions about the liability of businesses who call someone for assistance on their premises.

21/03/2024

An investigation is underway after a father of three died from a snake bite while trying to remove an eastern brown from a childcare centre.

Jerromy Brookes, 47, died of a cardiac arrest after attempting the remove at the centre in Townsville on Tuesday.

It has now emerged that Mr Brookes was not a qualified snake catcher raising questions about why he was attempting the dangerous removal.

Workplace Health and Safety Queensland has now launched an investigation into the incident, 7News reported...

://www.news.com.au/national/queensland/news/childcare-centre-under-investigation-after-man-dies-of-snake-bite/news-story/89b9e5e08a8f26a2252b2015f1a09227?utm_campaign=EditorialSB&utm_source=News.com.au&utm_medium=Facebook&utm_content=SocialBakers

An investigation is underway after a father of three died from a snake bite while trying to remove an eastern brown from a childcare centre.

20/03/2024

Hey all, as most would be aware yesterday an absolute tragedy occurred where a man was fatally bitten by an eastern brown snake here in Townsville. Firstly Id like to offer my deepest condolences to the family and loved ones of this man. My heart is so heavy and im devastated that this event occured.

Ive had my phone absolutely blown up after this news come to public light and I appreciate all the messages of concern.

I respectfully ask all media that have been calling me relentlessly to please seize doing so, I respectfully do not wish to comment further on this tragedy and respect for the family needs to be of highest consideration.

Snakes are very mis understood animals that require the upmost of respect. We as snake catchers are doing all we can to promote rules and regulations to minimise as much public interference with these animals as we can. I dont wish to go into to much detail considering the heartbreaking tradgedy but just wish to very vaguely highlight that catching any snake without the correct permits and training can have devastating consequences. Please please do not engage with anyone who isnt a licensed professional, regardless of any potential backyard experience or passion for reptiles. call a trusted proven licensed catcher for any reptile relocation work. We have the skills, training and expert snake bite first aid knowledge and equipment to deal with any potential accidents we as catchers may face.

This event has taken a heavy toll on me based on a few circumstances with this incident. I will continue to do all in my power to educate and spread awareness to our community and beyond to minimise any potential tragedys.

My condolences again go out to all loved ones, my thoughts and prayers are with you all.

Jeremy

19/03/2024

A man has died after being bitten by a suspected brown snake at a Townsville house. Details: https://bit.ly/3x0Iipo

18/03/2024

Working towards a modernised approach to reptile keeping

A surge in reptile ownership means it's time for an updated licensing approach to reptile keeping, explains Chris Williams, President, AHS.

15/03/2024

The ‘Snake Hunter’ has organ failure, and muscle and nerve damage from the bite. 📌 DETAILS: 7news.link/4cfpXVH

15/03/2024

First call of the day has been for a Yellow Bellied Sea Snake.
First one I’ve seen alive, so was very excited.
They spent a while trying to get it to go back into the sea. Apparently when this species washes up it’s normally an indication that the end is near. He/she isn’t looking too good unfortunately.

Edit: As people with more experience than me predicted it didn’t last long. I’d spoken to a friend at Taronga and was going to take it to their animal hospital.. but it’ll now be spending eternity in the specimen collection at The Australian Museum.

https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Yellow-bellied_sea_snake

13/03/2024

https://www.facebook.com/share/DBzGWXHyfPSXLep8/?mibextid=WC7FNe

11/03/2024

Stumbled across this poor Eastern Water Dragon while searching for a Diamond python.

09/03/2024

These traps must be really good if they can catch snakes using cheese as bait!

03/03/2024

Snake catching veteran calls it quits after near-death experience with an eastern brown
Newcombe has spent the last four years wanting to retire as a snake catcher.

But it was an incident with an eastern brown he was trying to catch that finally forced him to give up the job he loved.

It was a routine call-out at a home in Forbes in the New South Wales central west in February that left Mr Newcombe in intensive care for nine days.

"I was stepping over a wire fence to put it in a bag, in my ute, when my foot got caught in the fence," he said.

"I looked down to see what had happened when the snake bit me on the hand."

After 30 years as a licensed snake catcher in Forbes, Paul Newcombe has been forced to retire after being bitten for a third time by the world's second most venomous snake.

22/02/2024

On the phone they told me that they'd trapped the Red Bellied… it's in here 😩

21/02/2024

It's been a busy few weeks….

23/01/2024

25/12/2023

Merry Christmas everyone!

23/12/2023

23/12/2023

One less possum this morning.
A meal this size could last this Diamond python for several months.

15/12/2023

Yesterday some electricians stumbled across this guy while working in a roof in South Turramurra.
The bulge indicated that he was helping keep the house free from rats and possums and the owners were happy for him to stay.
We removed him while the nervous sparkles did their thing and the owners were going to release him back into the roof once they’d finished.
That’s the outcome we’d love to see more often.
When it’s safe to do so, we’d love to see the idea of coexisting with wildlife as a privilege and not just an inconvenience.

The past few days have been really busy right across Sydney with (mostly) unwanted snakes in yards and homes and the week leading up to Christmas will be much of the same.
Call us on 0418633474 if we can be any help.

26/11/2023

It’s been a busy week! Plenty of snakes out on the move.

10/11/2023

This is huge news...."An expedition to Indonesia led by Oxford University researchers recorded four three-second clips of Attenborough's long-beaked echidna. now, the only evidence that this particular species Zaglossus attenboroughi existed was a decades-old museum specimen of a dead animal.

"I was euphoric, the whole team was euphoric," Dr James Kempton told BBC News of the moment he spotted the Attenborough echidna in camera trap footage.

"I'm not joking when I say it came down to the very last SD card that we looked at, from the very last camera that we collected, on the very last day of our expedition."

Dr Kempton said he had been in letter correspondence with Sir David about the rediscovery and that he was "absolutely delighted".

Dr Kempton, a biologist from Oxford University, headed a multi-national team on the month-long expedition traversing previously unexplored stretches of the Cyclops Mountains, a rugged rainforest habitat 2,000m (6,561ft) above sea level.

In addition to finding Attenborough's "lost echidna" the expedition discovered new species of insects and frogs, and observed healthy populations of tree kangaroo and birds of paradise.

Sir David Attenborough "delighted" as mammal named after him is filmed for the first time.