Snake catcher Jay Everding: Monster 5.2m python found lurking at Queensland family’s home
An unwelcome late-night visitor straight out of a nightmare has left one Queensland family terrified.
A homeowner in the small town of Mareeba, about 60kms east of Cairns, was locking up late on Tuesday night when he saw something move out of the corner of his eye, just before he turned the light off.
Going in for a closer look, the man was confronted with a monster snake lurking along the house’s gutters and downpipe.
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By continuing you agree to our Terms and Privacy Policy.Jay Everding, from Close Encounters Reptile Removal, said the shaken owner called him for help, saying “I think I’ve got an anaconda!”.
Mr Everding said he initially thought the man might have been exaggerating the reptile’s size.
“(But) when we came in the driveway, I could see him and I was like, ‘Oh, s..t. It is a big snake’. Like, for a second, I was doubting if I could actually get him or just how big he was.”
And you know it’s a whopper when even the snake catcher is impressed — with the reptile measuring a little over 5.2 metres long and weighing in at 26.4kgs.
The amethystine python, also known as a scrub python, had coiled itself around a drain pipe, making for a difficult rescue.
It took more than an hour to wrestle the reptile away from the house.
“I think in the end he kind of gave up,” Mr Everding, who has 20 years experience catching snakes, said.
“I think he was exhausted. But I’m glad he gave up first because I was just about to give up,” he said.
“Some people don’t realise how strong they are.”
Mr Everding said while the snake is not venomous it could kill by constriction.
“The lady was terrified, she never seen nothing that big and the fellow, well, he was just kind of speechless because he is like, ‘Man, I don’t know how you can do that because I’m terrified’.”
The reptile, believed to more than 25 years old, was so big it even broke the bag Mr Everding uses to transport snakes.
The python has now been relocated to a rural property where there are plenty of places for him to hide and lots of rats and other small animals to eat.
