Good samaritan leaves warning note on car after scary encounter
Of all the things you don’t want to see when you open the bonnet of your car, a red-bellied black snake has got to be right up there. And if it were not for a warning note, a Sydney resident might have made this discovery the hard way.
Michael Garbutt, who was out for an evening walk at Kurnell in Sydney’s south, was a little surprised to find a note on his windshield when he returned to his car.
"This afternoon a red belly slithered up into your front left tyre. Please be careful," the note read.
The high school teacher popped the bonnet, and sure enough there was a red-bellied black snake, one of Australia’s deadliest serpents, getting cosy next to the engine.
"To say I was shocked is an understatement. On reflection I don't think I would have put my hand out to pop the bonnet if I had known it was there.
"My main concern was how do I get rid of it?
"I looked at Google to find a local snake catcher and called him up."
Before too long Michael has the number of Andrew Melrose from Shire Snake Catchers of Engadine, who headed straight over to deal with the pesky serpent.
Red-bellied black snakes are a common occurrence in that part of Sydney, and Mr Melrose says they often find their way into vehicles when looking for a safe place to hide.
"If they get startled they look for the first place that is safe.
"The place I found it was very bare. There was no place for the snake to escape. People would have startled it and the only place for it to hide was the car.
"The driver could have driven off unaware and parked and the snake would have left the car when it felt safe.
"Snakes will do anything to stay away. That's why they get into a car.
"It was in the guard of the wheel. I tapped the metal to make it move. It went under the motor to the front bumper.
"I tapped that area and it climbed up into the guard. I tapped the metal again and it crawled into the end of the coil suspension in the right-hand font wheel. And that's when I tried to gently coax it out by touching its body.
"Its head came out and it started biting the tyre. It slid down onto the ground and that's when I got it."
The identity of the person who left the note on Mr Garbutt’s vehicle remains unknown, but it’s a good thing they did otherwise there would’ve been a nasty surprise for his mechanic the next time he booked his car in for a service.
Have you ever had a close encounter with a snake?
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