A handyman was recorded on camera removing a snake off a rural road while enjoying an ice block.
The only-in-Australia moment occurred in Nimbin, northern New South Wales, an hour’s drive from Byron Bay, when the driver who filmed the incident was stopped by a man in a high-visibility shirt attempting to remove a carpet python off the road.
In the astonishing video, the man did not set down his popsicle, only temporarily placed it in his mouth to free a hand as he attempted to pull the snake away from the road and out of danger.
The man initially attempts to capture the snake’s tail with his bare hand, but as the reptile lunges at him, he changes his strategy.
Yeah, he got him, one person in the car exclaims.
The python then rears back, ready to strike, as the man leaves the frame for a moment to grab a tree branch to maintain his distance.
A man in the car quips, “Oh look, he’s still eating his ice cube.”
The tradesman then circles the snake while using the branch to keep it at bay till he successfully grabs its tail.
Then, he quickly but gently takes the snake away from the road and into the surrounding brush.
The observer comments, “It looks like he’s done this before; he didn’t even drop his ice block.”
Before taking another bite out of the ice block, the tradesman took one last look at the snake in the tall grass, as if pleased with his own performance.
Although carpet pythons do not generate venom, they are nevertheless capable of inflicting a painful bite.
The snake in the video appears to be between two and three meters in length, which is typical for carpet pythons.
One of the largest carpet pythons ever recorded was discovered in Ipswich, Queensland, two hours north of Nimbin. It reached 3.9 meters in length and weighed 14.5 kilograms.
Its prey consists primarily of small mammals, birds, and insects, but there have been tales of them killing small dogs and cats as well.
Fully grown carpet pythons have become popular pets due to their non-venomous nature and generally gentle disposition.
»Handyman holding an ice block wrangles a snake off Nimbin Road and never drops his treat«