Grandfather says his blood was pumping when forced to kill giant python

SNAKE ATTACKS

Last updated: 21/10/2018, 19:05:00 (AEST)

The 4.2m scrub python had bitten Naish Dobson on the arm first and continued to wrap itself around the toddler. IMAGE: Supplied

A local Julatten family is still coming to terms with their good fortune after quick action by the grandfather of a 22-month-old toddler saved him from the jaws of 4.2m scrub python.

Naish Dobson was grabbed by the reptile on the family’s veranda.

- Residents told snakes on the move

- Big snake on Port Douglas street

Attempts by the boy’s mother to arrest the snake proved fruitless and this is when his grandfather stepped in and stabbed the snake to death. The python had three coils of its large body wrapped around the infant and had bitten his right arm.

Mr Rutland said today in an interview that his heart was pumping as he was forced to use a kitchen knife to stop the snake from squeezing his Grandson to death.

Naish was taken by paramedics to Mossman Hospital and then Cairns Hospital for treatment of snake bites and some bruising.

The scrub python is a nonvenomous species of snake found in Indonesia, Papua New Guinea, and Australia.

Popular among reptile enthusiasts, and noted for its coloration and size, it is one of the six largest snakes in the world, as measured either by length or weight, and is the largest native snake in Australia and Papua New Guinea.

Attempts by Naish's mother to unwind the snake proved fruitless and this is when his grandfather was forced to step in and stab the snake to death. IMAGE: Supplied

Scrub pythons are the largest snake species in Australia, with reports of them growing up to 8m long. The ambush predators are known to eat large prey such as wallabies and occasionally domestic pets.

It is the second time in just over a week the species has attacked a person in the Far North, with a snake catcher nearly strangled to death by a python at Mission Beach.

Port Douglas resident Jean Thurtell snapped this shot on 2015 of her husband Mike and daughter Edie checking out the big snake, which appears to be somewhere between four and five metres long. IMAGE: Newsport

The RSPCA offers the following advice:

At certain times of the year, such as spring, snakes are more likely to be seen in gardens and parks.

- Do not panic, snakes are usually more scared of you then you are of them

- Do not approach any snake. Wait and it will usually move on

- Keep your pets away, perhaps put them inside until the snake passes on

What to do if a snake is in your house:

- Do not panic

- Keep your pets and children away

- Do not touch it. Snake bites occur when people attempt to touch a snake, relocate it or kill it

- You can either leave it alone and it will eventually make its way outside

OR

- you can take a photo of it from a distance, send the photo through to a snake catcher to provide advice on the species. The snake catcher could come and relocate it for you. Remember it is illegal to catch or kill a snake

How to discourage snakes from visiting your yard:

- Remove food that attracts snakes from around your house. Keep rodent populations under control by disposing of rubbish and keeping areas uncluttered, putting animal feed in storage areas that are rodent proof and not leaving uneaten pet food in bowls.

- If you have chickens or other poultry, keep them in snake proof enclosures

- Remove places for snakes to hide in, such as wood or rock piles

- Keep your lawn freshly cut. Snakes don’t like to be vulnerable and won’t travel great distances out in the open such as over a nicely trimmed lawn

Call 1300 ANIMAL for advice or contact your local snake catcher to relocate the snake. Here is a list of snakes to help you identify the snake.

Unfortunately, the RSPCA Queensland does not have legal authorisation to remove snakes unless they are injured or hurt.

From the Archive - In the Daintree Rainforest with Yahdoh