A bar manager in Australia received a shock when they opened their desk drawer in search of supplies and instead found a large carpet python curled among the pens and paper.
Hesitant to handle the snake themselves, staff contacted Stuart McKenzie of Sunshine Coast Snake Catchers to relocate the snoozing serpent.
Hilariously, the staff had been working in the office all day without even realizing the snake was there. All the while, the carpet python remained relaxed inside the desk drawer. “It’s a big boy,” they explained to McKenzie as he made his way to the office in question.
As McKenzie carefully opened the drawer, the snake nearly toppled out onto the floor, the entire weight of its body resting against the inside of the desk as it slept. Without missing a beat, the snake catcher reached out to stop it from falling before lifting the carpet python from its cozy hideaway.
Despite spending a full day away from the warmth of the sun, the carpet python didn’t seem too cold for comfort. Rather than acting sluggish from the hours spent in the dark, it wound its way up McKenzie’s arm as he attempted to place it in his bag.
“How about that? The staff were sitting at their desk most of the day with this little carpet python asleep right next to them. Crazy!” McKenzie said with a laugh as he prepared to release the snake into a wooded area.
After McKenzie gently lifted the snake into a tree, the carpet python slithered up a branch without a second glance at its rescuer.
Carpet pythons and other snakes are not human hunters
As this interaction clearly illustrates, carpet pythons are not out to get anyone. Nor is any snake, for that matter. Unless you’re a rat, bird, or lizard, of course. In that case, you might be onto something.
Now, it’s true that carpet pythons are a particularly docile species. The one in the desk drawer, for example, didn’t appear at all angry that the snake catcher was removing him from his hiding place (how comfortable can a drawer really be, after all).
But even “vicious” species, such as the black mamba, inland taipan, and rattlesnake, don’t want anything to do with humans if they can help it.
Snake bites do happen – and, yes, they can be deadly. But being aware of your surroundings will eliminate nearly any chance of an attack happening to you.
Keep in mind that the vast majority of snake bites occur on the hands, feet, and ankles. This makes complete sense when you consider that virtually all snake bites are the result of one of two reasons: accidental trampling or intentional harassment.
Watching your step, especially on trails and in other outdoor spaces, takes care of the first. Keeping your hands to yourself rules out the second.
If you do encounter a snake – even a nonvenomous species such as a carpet python – in your home or office, always seek a professional’s help rather than attempting to handle it yourself.
The bite of a carpet python is painful, not deadly. But it’s in your best interest, as well as the snake’s, to avoid interaction even when your intentions are good.
