Latest news with #AustinPols
Yahoo
30-04-2025
- General
- Yahoo
Biosecurity hazard discovered on Aussie driveway shocks couple: 'Extreme risk'
When Jo spotted the "bright white" creature on her driveway she didn't know how dangerous it was. Snake catcher Austin Pols was called out to remove what's believed to have been an illegally-kept albino pet. Source: Sydney Snakes and Wildlife Removal A British couple was left shocked after recently discovering a biosecurity hazard in the driveway of their Australian home. It was almost dark as Jo was putting out the bins and spotted a 'bright white snake' seemingly glowing on her driveway. 'I was quite shocked to see any snake because I'm not Australian. They're not something that I've grown up expecting to see,' she told Yahoo News. 'I ran back into the house and I called for my husband and my children to come out immediately. Then we stood there thinking, now what do we do?' Jo's five-year-old son was enamoured with the snake, and excitedly called out to anyone walking by their Sydney home in the southern suburb of Penshurst. Her three-year-old daughter was a little unsure of it. And when the reptile began slithering towards her house, Jo called a snake catcher for help. What breed is the white snake? As Austin Pols from Sydney Snakes and Wildlife Removal listened to Jo's description of the snake a week ago, he knew immediately by the colour that it was an escaped pet. He assumed it was likely a harmless python, not an illegally kept exotic species that it turned out to be. ADVERTISEMENT 'When they sent me a photo I didn't know what it was… it was an incredible looking snake, it had gold stripes,' he recalled. It's understandable that Austin wasn't able to immediately identify what species he was dealing with. It was only by talking to a US-based expert that he was able to determine it was a custom bred albino California kingsnake. While the snake looks beautiful, it poses an 'extreme risk' to Australia's biosecurity. Source: Sydney Snakes and Wildlife Removal Authorities reveal why snake finding was so dangerous The NSW Department of Primary Industries confirmed with Yahoo that California kingsnakes, which are endemic to southwestern USA and northwestern Mexico, cannot be legally kept in Australia. And although the snake is considered non-venomous, it poses 'an extreme risk' to the nation's biosecurity. 'Exotic invasive animals can introduce hazards to Australia, including adding extra pressure on already vulnerable native species through destruction of their habitat, competition for limited resources and the introduction of exotic animal disease,' a Department spokesperson said. ADVERTISEMENT 'Occasionally, accidental incursions through imported freight or international flights must be carefully managed once detected.' California kingsnakes can carry disease and outcompete native species. Source: Getty What happened to the snake? Legally, Austin was compelled to surrender the California kingsnake to the Department, and it was assessed by a vet and humanely euthanised. An investigation is now underway to determine how much harm the snake caused before it was captured. 'Biosecurity screening at the NSW Animal and Plant Health Laboratories will determine if the snake was carrying any pathogens or diseases, its reproductive status and if it had recently bred,' it confirmed. Along with threatening Australian ecosystems, the keeping of illegal snakes is problematic to the welfare of the individual animals being kept. ADVERTISEMENT 'People smuggle these snakes into Australia, keep them, breed them, but they're really not worth much to sellers because they're illegal,' Austin told Yahoo. 'You can't get them treatment at a vet, because they'd identify what species it is. They're really not worth keeping.' Love Australia's weird and wonderful environment? 🐊🦘😳 Get our new newsletter showcasing the week's best stories.
Daily Mail
22-04-2025
- General
- Daily Mail
Aussie mates given fright of their life after chilling discovery on golf course
A group of golfers were given the fright of their lives after discovering a huge eastern brown snake slithering across the green. The serpent was filmed on the fairway of a hole at Magenta Shores Golf Course on the NSW Central Coast. The golfers understandably didn't want to get too close to the world's second most venomous land snake as it passed by. A video of it was posted to Facebook with social media users left in disbelief. One person said: 'That would have to be THE biggest brown EVER.' 'I think l would have dropped dead seeing that in front of me,' another said. Austin Pols, from Sydney Snakes and Wildlife Removal, told Daily Mail Australia he estimated the snake to be about three metres long. 'It was quite a fascinating one because I've never seen one that size. The snake's size is that of a large python,' Mr Pols said. 'My opinion is that it's six or seven-years-old and has survived some harsh seasons. It was quite stunning, no question about it. 'It seems to have tolerated the harshest conditions or gotten extremely lucky.' Found primarily in eastern Australia, brown snakes are highly adaptable and can be found anywhere from woodlands to suburban gardens. 'The thing with golf courses in particular is they're a prime location for snakes because they have everything they need,' Mr Pols said. 'They have water, food, shelter and sun.' Despite the intimidating size of the brown snake, catching it wouldn't be too difficult compared to a baby snake, which is just as venomous from the day it is born. 'The problem with baby snakes is they're difficult for snake catchers because when you pick them up they're very agile,' Mr Pols said. 'With a big snake it's quite different. I wouldn't say that big brown snake on the golf course would be hard to capture. 'You grab it from the tail and it won't be overly aggressive.' A bite from an eastern brown snake can be fatal in little as half an hour and they are responsible for more bites in Australia than any other species. Despite the statistics, they're not the most caught snake by Sydney Snakes and Wildlife Removal. 'I'd say 95 per cent of our snake calls are for black snakes. Only two per cent are for brown snakes. We don't come across them that often but that's not to say they're not common,' Mr Pols said. Eastern brown snakes can live to 10-plus years in the wild but are generally more likely to have longer lifespans in captivity. They mainly survive off rodents, lizards, birds and frogs, making a golf course prime real estate. Despite the ongoing fear of the deadly reptiles, Mr Pols urged Aussies to leave snakes alone and call a professional snake catcher if they need to be removed from a property.
The Sun
21-04-2025
- The Sun
Shocking moment ‘biggest snake EVER' slithers across golf course as terrified fans say ‘I would have dropped dead'
THIS is the shocking moment a huge venomous snake slithered across a golf course. The three-metre-long serpent glided across the fairway at the prestigious Magenta Shores course in New South Wales, Australia. Golfers on the back nine were left shocked when the snake appeared in front of them and a video of the incident has gone viral on social media. The creature has since been identified as an Eastern brown, which is one of Australia's most deadly. Known for its agility and speed, it has been ranked as the third most dangerous type of snake in the country. Despite it injecting just 4mg (less than one-thousandth of an ounce) per bite, it can still kill a person. Viewers of the clip were left terrified, with one saying: "I think l would have dropped dead seeing that in front of me." Another added: "That has to be the biggest brown EVER." A third reacted: "I am never going there for a visit." An Eastern brown is not known for its attacks on humans unless it is aggravated. Sydney Snakes and Wildlife Removal worker Austin Pols told News Australia: "It looks to be nearly three meters. Usually they only grow to two meters in length with a 1.5 metre average. "Anything larger is spectacular. It seems to be very well fed and survived many seasons. 'Hi there' - Shane Lowry's wife has incredible encounter with dangerous wild animal while out golfing "We get calls out in golf courses frequently. They tend to love the location due to it offering a snake everything it could possible need, namely food, shelter, water and sun. 'If encountered in a golf course, keep your distance and let it pass by. "Luckily, golf courses are usually well maintained, making it near impossible to accidentally step on one and risk getting bitten.'
The Irish Sun
21-04-2025
- The Irish Sun
Shocking moment ‘biggest snake EVER' slithers across golf course as terrified fans say ‘I would have dropped dead'
THIS is the shocking moment a huge venomous snake slithered across a golf course. The three-metre-long serpent glided across the fairway at the prestigious Magenta Shores course in New South Wales, Australia. 1 The snake is one of Australia's most venomous Golfers on the back nine were left shocked when the snake appeared in front of them and a video of the incident has gone viral on social media. The creature has since been identified as an Eastern brown, which is one of Australia's most deadly. Known for its agility and speed, it has been ranked as the third most dangerous type of Despite it injecting just 4mg (less than one-thousandth of an ounce) per bite, it can still READ MORE IN GOLF Viewers of the clip were left terrified, with one saying: "I think l would have dropped dead seeing that in front of me." Another added: "That has to be the biggest brown EVER." A third reacted: "I am never going there for a visit." An Eastern brown is not known for its attacks on humans unless it is aggravated. Most read in Golf CASINO SPECIAL - BEST CASINO BONUSES FROM £10 DEPOSITS Sydney Snakes and Wildlife Removal worker Austin Pols told "Anything larger is spectacular. It seems to be very well fed and survived many seasons. 'Hi there' - Shane Lowry's wife has incredible encounter with dangerous wild animal while out golfing "We get calls out in golf courses frequently. They tend to love the location due to it offering a snake everything it could possible need, namely food, shelter, water and sun. 'If encountered in a "Luckily, golf courses are usually well maintained, making it near impossible to accidentally step on one and risk getting bitten.'
Scottish Sun
21-04-2025
- General
- Scottish Sun
Shocking moment ‘biggest snake EVER' slithers across golf course as terrified fans say ‘I would have dropped dead'
Click to share on X/Twitter (Opens in new window) Click to share on Facebook (Opens in new window) THIS is the shocking moment a huge venomous snake slithered across a golf course. The three-metre-long serpent glided across the fairway at the prestigious Magenta Shores course in New South Wales, Australia. Sign up for Scottish Sun newsletter Sign up 1 The snake is one of Australia's most venomous Golfers on the back nine were left shocked when the snake appeared in front of them and a video of the incident has gone viral on social media. The creature has since been identified as an Eastern brown, which is one of Australia's most deadly. Known for its agility and speed, it has been ranked as the third most dangerous type of snake in the country. Despite it injecting just 4mg (less than one-thousandth of an ounce) per bite, it can still kill a person. READ MORE IN GOLF NEW MOVE McIlroy's wife 'makes major decision about their relationship' after Masters Viewers of the clip were left terrified, with one saying: "I think l would have dropped dead seeing that in front of me." Another added: "That has to be the biggest brown EVER." A third reacted: "I am never going there for a visit." An Eastern brown is not known for its attacks on humans unless it is aggravated. CASINO SPECIAL - BEST CASINO BONUSES FROM £10 DEPOSITS Sydney Snakes and Wildlife Removal worker Austin Pols told News Australia: "It looks to be nearly three meters. Usually they only grow to two meters in length with a 1.5 metre average. "Anything larger is spectacular. It seems to be very well fed and survived many seasons. 'Hi there' - Shane Lowry's wife has incredible encounter with dangerous wild animal while out golfing "We get calls out in golf courses frequently. They tend to love the location due to it offering a snake everything it could possible need, namely food, shelter, water and sun. 'If encountered in a golf course, keep your distance and let it pass by. "Luckily, golf courses are usually well maintained, making it near impossible to accidentally step on one and risk getting bitten.'
