Diamond pythons are native to Sydney. Photo / Getty Images
Diamond pythons are native to Sydney. Photo / Getty Images
Pedestrians on a busy street in Sydney's eastern suburbs got more than they bargained for, when an abandoned snake was discovered hiding inside a bin.
The diamond head python – believed to be worth $1000 – was found outside a Paddington barber's shop on Oxford St, to the amusement and alarm of passers-by.
After hearing from a friend that the snake had been glad-wrapped into the bin to keep it from escaping until help arrived, Benny Eisman – also known as The Accidental Herpetologist – arrived to extract the snake safely from the bin and put it in a leather bag.
Eisman had initially intended to then transport it to the vet before Surry Hills police made contact with him and ensured the reptile was handed off safely to Sydney Wildlife Rescue.
The python was extracted from a bin on Oxford St (left). A man rescued the reptile(right), where it had been glad-wrapped in until help arrived. Photos / Instagram
"It was a bizarre situation," Eisman, who has had a lifelong love of snakes and previously kept them as pets, told the Wentworth Courier.
"I'm a reptile enthusiast and I have been handling snakes most of my life, and now I take photos of them too."
Eisman said the fact the snake was "really nice looking" and "very healthy and very fat" meant it was likely someone's escaped pet, adding that his main concern was for its welfare.
A Sydney Wildlife Rescue spokeswoman said a team arrived within 25 minutes of being alerted around 11am, "but when they arrived the snake had been removed from the bin by a passer-by member of the public who retrieved the snake from the bin and placed it in a hot leather bag".
"Several photos and videos later, the snake was taken away on his motorbike," she said.
Police quickly tracked down the man and with their help, Sydney Wildlife Rescue took the snake into care where it will be examined by a vet and treated accordingly. The reptile had suffered minor injuries and police are investigating the incident.
Sydney Wildlife Rescue urged members of the public not to handle snakes in the wild. Photo / Sydney Wildlife Rescue
The Sydney Wildlife Rescue spokeswoman warned that while the breed is non-venomous, they can bite.
"It is not only illegal but dangerous for any member of the public to attempt to handle a snake in the wild," she said.
"Over 80 per cent of snake bites in Australia occur when a person attempts to capture or harm a snake.
"Whilst diamond pythons are native to Sydney, this snake is most likely a pet that was discarded by its owner. All reptiles that are kept as pets in NSW must be licensed by National Parks and Wildlife and must not be taken from the wild."
Anyone with a wild animal in the care they can no longer look after has been urged to call Sydney Wildlife Rescue for advice on ways of disposing of them that ensure the welfare and safety of both the animal and the public.
