venomous red-bellied black snake was spotted hiding out in play equipment at a childcare center in Australia, prompting a call to the snake catcher.
Stuart McKenzie, owner of Sunshine Coast Snake Catchers 24/7, posted a video of the four-foot-long snake and the rescue on Facebook, revealing the venomous serpent curled up beneath the kids’ toys.
“Check out this red-bellied black snake Dan found in a busy childcare! Luckily one of the educators spotted the snake before the kids were let back into the playground!!” the video was captioned on Facebook.
“So dangerous for the kids,” said a commenter under the video.
Red-bellied black snakes are a venomous species native to eastern Australia. Their venom is less toxic than that of some other Australian snakes, such as the eastern brown snake, but it can still be dangerous. It contains neurotoxins, myotoxins and coagulants, which can cause symptoms like pain, swelling, nausea, vomiting and, in severe cases, paralysis or tissue damage.
Though potentially serious, bites are rarely fatal to humans. Regardless, prompt medical attention is always advised in the event of a bite.
“They are considered a dangerously venomous snake, whilst not as toxic as other native species and the fact generally they are considered an inoffensive species,” McKenzie told Newsweek. “The close proximity to small children was a concern.”
In the video, the snake catcher can be heard describing the snake as he finds it lurking beneath some toys in the yard of the childcare center.
“Underneath there is a … probably a meter-long red-belly. So it’s curled up underneath all this play equipment at a childcare center,” he said. “Obviously its not a great spot for a red-belly — sure the red-belly’s happy, but I mean being around the kids.”
“I can see the tail but I don’t know where its head is,” the catcher said as he poked around in the play equipment. Eventually, he can be seen in the video to grab the snake by its tail and pull it out, holding it in the air as the children gasp and cheer off-camera.