A snake with a terminal case of indigestion got a helping hand from veterinarians in Australia when the peckish python nommed a child’s stuffed teddy bear.
(Warning: some of the following images may upset those with squeamish sensibilities). Medical staff at the Vet Lounge surgery in Queensland, Australia thought they’d seen it all when snake catcher Tony Harrison brought in an obviously overstuffed python. “The family watched the snake eat the dog’s toy,” recounted Tony Harrison of Reptile Relocation and Awareness. “The teddy bear would not have digested and eventually would have compacted in the snake’s intestines,” he explained. “Infection would eventually set in and the snake would die.”
Gold Coast in southeastern Queensland boasts a humid subtropical climate that people – and pythons – find quite comfortable. It was no surprise, therefore, when a scaly intruder took advantage of an open window while searching for a meal… ANY meal. “I’ve seen them eat tea towels, plastic bags and fake chook eggs,” stated Harrison. “If it smells good they’ll eat anything.” Even a gnarly dog’s chew toy, it would seem.
After the family in question had secured their own safety, they put in a call to Tony Harrison, the “Gold Coast Snake Catcher,” to have the gluttonous reptile removed. It’s a good thing they mentioned the circumstances, according to Kylie Barba (above), practice manager at The Vet Lounge. “Tony would have taken the snake and relocated it because it just looks like (it ate) a big rat and wouldn’t have rung any alarm bells.”
