Two long-standing snake catchers in Cairns, Tablelands warn of dangers to domestic pets

Two old-hand snake catchers in our region say pet owners should be hypervigilant with three felines being snatched in one week.

Two old-hand snake catchers in our region say pet owners should be hypervigilant with three felines being snatched in one week.

Dave Walton of Wildlife Solutions and Cairns Snake Removals has been catching and relocating snakes for 21 years, and he has seen three cats taken by scrub pythons in the past week.

He said scrub pythons and snakes in general are most active in the wet.

“It’s in the hottest and humidest time of year, which is now,” he said.

“Scrub pythons, which are the culprits for eating cats and pets seem to go on feeding frenzies when there’s rain events. There’s more chickens and cats taken at this time of year.

“With chickens it’s really because the chicken pens have a strong odour when they’re wet so I’m guessing it travels on the wind further.”

While this is prime snake season and his busiest time of year, he said it’s no more busy now than earlier seasons.

“It gets busy leading up to rain event,” he said.

“I reckon I could forecast the weather because when I get busy it’s going to rain.”

He said scrub pythons were normally night hunters, but they are opportunists. A domestic cat was taken in Smithfield in the middle of the day this week.

The owners had gone inside for lunch and when they came back out the cat was gone, replaced by a python with a lump in its belly.

“It probably knew the cat was sleeping there. It’s happy to sit there and wait for the right moment,” he said.

Hayley-Anne Harper-Hill from Miss Hiss Reptiles has been relocating snakes for 18 years, and she also has the message that snakes can be active at any time of year.

The largest animal she saw a snake take was a fully grown wallaby.

“I’ve heard of a snake eating a big rottweiler,” she said.

“You do come across those big pythons in the jungle.

“Your main one that takes on the domestic cats is the scrub python, the biggest python in Australia, and they can take on a lot of animals. They dislocate their jaw and they can take prey that’s unbelievable.

“As reptile handlers we try and say to people keep your cats in, just keep them in especially at night, because the amount of wildlife they kill is so sad.

“We have a lot of big pythons out there.”

Dave Walton agrees.

“People are very emotionally attached to their pets, that’s understandable.

“Guinea pigs, cats, chickens, small dogs, caged birds … There’s never a day off.

“Just be aware if your cat goes out it can get eaten. We live in the tropics and it’s all fair game.”

Originally published as Two long-standing snake catchers in Cairns, Tablelands warn of dangers to domestic pets