In a present simply no one wants to unwrap, a kitty cat in Queensland deposited a red bellied black snake under its family’s Christmas tree. As if we needed any more evidence all cats hate humans.
The tale — and tail — was shared by snake catcher Gunter Glasser from Darling Downs Snake Catchers. In pics posted to the company’s Facebook page, the snake could be seen curled up amidst a collection of Christmas presents.
I guess you could call it Sssssanta’s little helper.
Speaking to 9News, Glasser said the snake was actually quite little at around 60 centimetres. Awww. Sort of.
He also confirmed both Christmassy critters were safe and sound.
“The cat wasn’t bitten and quite proud of itself.” he said.
“Thankfully the snake had no negative effect from the cat carrying it.”
I must demand a delightful Frog and Toad style collection of short stories about this cat who just wanted to bring its reptile best friend home for Christmas. I can already see the award-winning Disney short now.
Red-bellied black snakes are venomous and they can be potentially fatal. Luckily though, there are no recorded deaths from the snake in Aus.
According to Australian Geographic, they also tend to move away if they hear someone coming. But they’re aggressive if cornered or threatened.
I imagine you’d be feeling pretty cornered if you were trapped in a staggering tower of Christmas presents, so it’s probably a good thing the professionals were called in.
Glasser said the family who copped the hissy Chrissy gift were “snake lovers” but “didn’t want to touch it”. Honestly that is so fair.
“It was an unexpected Christmas present,” he added.
The snake was then relocated near a creek in some bushland. A happy return for the holidays.
Look, we’ve seen snakes in Aus hitching a ride on a car bonnet, snuggling up in bed and swarming AirBnb guests over the last year.
It makes sense we’ve copped a festive addition to the list.
