OPERATION RESCUE THE SNAKE
Pictures this. Sitting late at night near midnight in the dark much like most of you reading this are now. Then all of a sudden the dogs are no longer sleeping in their beds but rather one is scratching away at and sniffing around some timber I brought inside to keep dry being storms are predicted. I pay no attention this is normal for a young inquisitive adolescent dog. I figure it is just something new in the house and she may have a gecko or cockroach a moth even taking refuge from this fierce late night predictor. Being an Australian cattle dog means she is part dingo so this is very normal behaviour for her to be up late thinking she's a wild hunter stalking her prey. With a poor measly grass hopper or something. When all of a sudden she starts knocking the crap out of the timber and the other much older, smaller dog is now out of bed, he is a mini Jack Russell very experienced at finishing the job when there is work to be done on rats. He sits back and as the rat gets spooked out he is the one that races over grabs them gives them a good shake and that's the end of that. Any other time he is the most friendly gentle dog you will ever meet. He thinks every visitor that enters the property is only here to visit him. He has many friends.
When he started shaking whatever it was in the dark he normally has it over in the first few seconds then goes back to bed like nothing ever happened. This time I was very suspicious because he had two goes at shaking whatever it was and I haven't seen a rat here in quite some time.
THE PLOT UNFOLDS
Although it is still dark the dogs are ducking and dodging something and giving it a few shakes and it hasn't taken off across the room at light speed. At this point I'm fully aware as it immediately dawns on me why I haven't seen any rats in some time now. This is not normal for me to not have to keep them rodents at bay thinning them out a little. I have a snake in my little dwelling. Now this is a real problem because the light switch is directly above where all the action is and I am trying to call the dogs off. Im afraid of them getting bitten. We have the most venomous aggressive snakes in the world here. Taipans, king Browns and the list goes on and on. I've seen dogs die in 5 minutes from one of these snakes.
We have bush all around us and this is my garden I leave the doors open most of the time.
In short the snake had the right idea he was only seeking refuge from the storm approaching, the smell of fresh raw unsealed dry timber would have smelt like heaven to him at this point in time. So he's moved from my garden to inside with us three. The dogs were good and left when I told them now for the light switch in the dark. Gentle as we go very careful slowly slowly with eyes wide open in the dark. I struggle to see at the best of times. I get to the light turn it on and can't see anything. It's in hiding. I look under the clothes rack to see an upside down snake playing dead. Uh oh! Not my most pleasant moment with nature as I still can't identify the snake. So I wait till it feels safe and flips over I still can't see it cos I'm not laying down to see this part happen. I watch where it goes and give it a moment to settle in and with a torch I can finally see what I've got here. Phew! It's only a python. A very pissed off one at that after being shaken up by the dogs. Can't say I blame him.
Now how to rescue him and get my space back snake free. Regardless of what people think. Pythons do bite and can be a very cranky snake when they are wild and not accustomed to being handled. I reach down and grab his tail to get him out and he is still very cranky due to his recent experience and current situation. Cornered with no clear escape no safety and plenty critters trying to have their way with him. He takes a strike or two and three at me so I take a seat let him hide. I am no snake handler I know when I'm not welcome. So I give him ten minutes to settle and get over his traumatic ordeal. This kinda works. He is not so aggressive now but still won't let me touch him. I suggest putting the dogs upstairs for the night and I go to bed leave the doors open and hopefully he leaves without my help. The look I get from the home owner who is now down trying to help me was priceless followed by a statement of. "Do you know how fucken big that things GONNA get if we, if we leave it here. " I know it sounds like a question but it really wasn't. So I hold a bag ( my pillow case) up he strikes at my hand so I tickle his tail and he chooses to manoeuvre himself into a junk box of odds and ends then. Im down with that I tape the pillow case over the top and take the whole box for a drive to the bush. We take the tape off he is so happy like nothing ever happened. Im thankful as I have had them come flying out in the past. That's great I still have to get him out so I can take the container and items home. He's so comfortable he doesn't want to leave. So I tip the box over gently he still laid there while I picked everything up, still he's playing dead so I give him a little tickle to get him moving and get the rest of the items. We release him near a fresh water stream with plenty of frogs and other goodies to snack on.
Extra bonus information here if you ever have a problem like this. Don't try like I did to physically man handle the snake. That could be very foolish, I have been around snakes my whole life. If I get bitten more fool me. I only attempted to handle the snake as I knew the type to be non venomous and if it was worn out and tired I could have easily picked it up. If it wasn't already so disturbed I could have possibly picked it up. They all have different temperaments so be aware of that. SIMPLY USE A DARK BAG ON THE END OF A STICK OR POLE AND ALLOW THE SNAKE TO ENTER THE BAG. IT WILL FEEL SAFE IN THE BAG AND YOU WILL BE ABLE TO REMOVE IT WITHOUT GETTING TOO CLOSE. This is what I would have done had it been a venomous snake.