'Closest call': Snake catcher narrowly escapes bite of highly venomous predator in scary encounter
QUEENSLAND, AUSTRALIA: A video captured the terrifying moment a snake catcher came dangerously close to being bitten by a highly venomous snake. Stuart McKenzie who visited the Twin Waters house on Queensland's Sunshine Coast had the scariest encounter with the "cheeky" poisonous red-bellied snake and was described as the "closest call [he's] had in a while." He uploaded the video to the Facebook page that goes by Sunshine Coast Snake Catchers 24/7 on Saturday, March 25.
"It's been a hectic week and in the heat of it all yesterday, I nearly copped a bite from a small Red Bell," he wrote in the video caption. In the video, a small but dangerous red-bellied black snake, common in eastern Australia, is shown trying to climb the fence of the family's shed. Stuart uses a hook to lift the snake while simultaneously grabbing its tail. The writhing snake protests as it begins to move before "head butting" Stuart's finger.
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'Off you go Mr Cheeky'
Despite having a close encounter with the poisonous creature, Stuart stated with fondness, "This cheeky little thing head-butted my finger... closest call I've had in a little while," he says moments later when releasing the snake into the bush. "Off you go Mr Cheeky."
Internet lauded Stuart for how he managed the situation and asked to be grateful for his lucky stars. "That was so close," one person said in the Facebook post. "So lucky it didn't decide to bite," another commented. "It's the smaller ones that usually get you, a lot harder to handle," a third person said. Another chimed in, "So lucky it didn't decide to bite. Definitely cheeky. That python was gorgeous though"
How to respond in case of a snake bite?
Billy Collett of the Australian Reptile Park advised listeners to act quickly if they detect a snake around the house. “Especially around our households with keeping lawns mowed and rubbish piles at bay, and being up to date with snake first aid,” Billy told Yahoo News. He earlier stated, adding that all that's required for a suspected bite is a pressure bandage, “All you need to do is get your bandage and go over the bite sight three times, and work your way up the limb, immobilize and get yourself to hospital,” he explained. “Get the bandage on in the first few minutes because it slows the movement down dramatically.” He also warned the listeners not to go near the snake but rather call a professional, “Stay away from it, don't muck with it, and call your local snake catcher,” he added.
Red-bellied black snakes are not considered very aggressive, but when challenged they can defend themselves. Some bite victims have reported losing their sense of smell as a result of the bite.
