The snake-catching, birdwatching zoologist bringing ‘yobbo’ to the industry

This Aussie larrikin has loved animals since the day he was born and has a few yarns to spin about his experiences with the dangerous critters he’s met along the way.

At just 12-years-old Dave Ryan pinned one of the worlds deadliest snakes by its head, picked it up and showing off, carried to his father who calmly told him to release it, before giving him a “flogging”.

It wasn’t the birth of Mr Ryan’s larrikin personality or his love of animals but it was maybe the first time they came together, it certainly wouldn’t be the last.

Qld Larrikins

The Head of Reptiles at Lone Pine Koala Sanctuary and part time snake catcher for Sunshine Coast Snake Catchers said he’s surprised he survived the encounter.

“I down the back of the property picking up horse s*#t and I saw the five foot brown snake under a tree so I went and grabbed a stick, pinned it by the head and caught it just head grabbed it.

“Looking back now, I can’t believe I didn’t die, I had never picked up any snake.”

“ I took it up to dad thinking I was the coolest fella on the planet, I said “hey dad look what I just caught down the back,” he goes, “Oh that’s really good David just go throw it right over there.”

“So I went over and threw the snake and he said “now come over here” and he absolutely flogged me hey, and said “never, ever do that again”, now I do it for a living so that’s pretty funny.”

Dave nice and cosy in bed with his friendly parrot.

He’s dealt with huge crocs and deadly snakes ever since, he said one of his closest calls was when he had to wrestle with one of the angriest brown snakes he’s seen in 2o years.

That’s the only time his larrikin attitude goes away, and for good reason.

“As soon as I stepped in the pool it ran up and started running over to me, the poor snake was freaking out and trying to defend itself but that was sketchy, really, really, sketchy.”

“Every time you try to catch a Brown snake, there is potential there to get bitten … anyone having a lazy day catching one is probably going to end up in hospital.”

His love for animals started with birds, and loves bird watching, but he doesn’t follow the same rules as other bird enthusiasts.

“I was the weird kid riding my pushy around the neighbourhood following black cockatoos and stuff, I would just disappear into fields of long grass and find fairy wrens and just sit there and watch them,” he said.

“(My wife and I) see birds and reptiles in the wild and having fun doing it, you see all these bird watchers with long camo khaki shirts and pants and safari hats and we’re just out in the bush in shorts, singlet and thongs, bringing a bit of yobbo to the bird watching scene.”

Dave Ryan hanging out with one of his pet parrots at home.