‘Eyes, tongue don’t work’: Snake catcher bitten by deadly eastern brown

A well-known South East Queensland snake catcher remains in hospital four days after being bitten by a deadly eastern brown snake as shocked fans watched the drama unfold on livestream.

A well-known South East Queensland snake catcher remains in hospital four days after being bitten by a deadly eastern brown snake as shocked fans watched the drama unfold on livestream.

In a social media update on Wednesday, the Harrison’s Gold Coast and Brisbane Snake Catcher page said all Tony Harrison’s bloods were back to normal.

“So there will be no more blood tests,” the post said.

“The neurotoxins are still affecting his small muscles … eyes, tongue and even his right hand.

“He is slowly improving with all of these but if makes himself tired, which isn’t hard, they are triggered and get worse. He may be moved out of ICU later today if all stays as is.”

On Tuesday, he posted a video from his hospital bed, showing how ill he is.

A worse for wear Mr Harrison took to social media, with his heavy eyes barely open and his speech heavily slurred.

“My eyes don’t work and my tongue doesn’t work,” Mr Harrison said as he held his right eye open.

“Please give us a break … please leave us alone.”

He also revealed that his wife Brooke is in the hospital as well.

Mr Harrison was bitten by the snake while attending a home at Stockleigh about 2.24pm on Sunday.

The incident was being livestreamed on their Facebook page, and the video has since been deleted.

A Queensland Ambulance spokeswoman said he was taken Logan Hospital in a serious but stable condition. On Monday morning he was in a stable condition at Logan Hospital.

Gold Coast and Brisbane snake catcher Tony Harrison, wife Brooke and son Jensen. Picture: Nigel Hallett

His wife, Brooke Harrison, told The Courier-Mail he was bitten while he had two eastern brown snakes in his hand.

She said he had the snake and then the snake bit him.

Mr Harrison said it had been a “rough 24 hours” but his bloods were turning for the better now however he might have to go on kidney dialysis.

Mr Harrison is no stranger to snake bites or hospital beds and had been admitted to hospital several times over 30 years of being a snake catcher.

Ms Harrison was hospitalised for “exhaustion and stress”.

In an update on social media, on Tuesday afternoon, it was revealed Mr Harrison will not need dialysis and he has already started to improve despite not being able to speak.

“His bloods are still clearing up and improving. The neurotoxins are affecting his eyes and tongue so he cannot open them or speak at this stage,” Harrison’s Gold Coast and Brisbane Snake Catcher wrote on Facebook.

“They started to affect his fingers but that has already started to improve. His kidneys are sorting themselves so no dialysis.

“All scans are back clear but they will do another just to keep tabs. Just so happy he is still here at this stage.”

A GoFundMe has also been created to raise funds for the much loved snake catcher with already $8000 raised.

The GoFundMe creator Joy Bailey said Mr Harrison had been a member of the community doing great work in education and relocation of reptiles.

“He is always around giving information, caring for others and also having a chuckle. Sometimes at his own expense,” she said.

“The family is all about conservation and the caring of animals … they need us to help them out cover some bills while Tony is recuperating.

“He will hate me for doing this as he is always the giver … but I want us to help this family and I know a lot of you want to show your love.”

Mr Harrison previously told The Courier-Mail he had been bitten “thousands of times”.

“Snake catching and snake bites, they come hand-in-hand. It’s all part of the deal,” he said.

“Obviously you are dealing with a wild animal that thinks that us humans are going to eat it so they have to defend themselves and the only way possible is a quick nibble.

“We do use tricks and body language to try and calm them down so we don’t get bitten but it doesn’t always go to plan.

“This job puts us in situations where it’s inevitable.”

Mr Harrison said he had been bitten four other times be venomous snakes – a rough scales snake, red bellied and two eastern browns.

“Two out of my four venomous snake bites were dry bites so I was only in (hospital) 19 or 20 hours each time and then the two other bites that went pear shaped I suffered anaphylaxis,” he said.

“Because I do have hypersensitivity to the venom. I nearly died from anaphylaxis and had to have the epipen.

“I also got an eastern brown bite about 23 years ago and I went through 10 vials of antivenom and that nearly killed me.”

Mr Harrison said he had also been bitten by heaps of carpet pythons.

“I had a really big carpet bite me over the neck,” he said.

“I’ve been bitten over the ear so you can hear each and every tooth snapping off in your skin.

“I had one carpet python bite me and its teeth went underneath my finger nails … It bent my fingernail back. But that is expected on the job.”