Shoppers stunned over dangerous find in Big W baby section

Shoppers made a terrifying discovery in the children’s pyjama section inside a Big W store in NSW’s Southern Highlands.

An unwelcome visitor startled shoppers inside a Big W store when it was spotted slithering among the kids’ pyjama section.

Snake catcher Ray filmed the incident after being called to the Big W in Mittagong, in New South Wales’s Southern Highlands, to retrieve a red-bellied black snake.

He shared the footage on the Southern Highlands & South Coast Snake Catchers Facebook page, showing his arrival at the store, where a staff member directed him to the snake’s location.

“It’s underneath the pyjamas,” the staff member said about the highly venomous snake.

“He’s hiding between the shelf fittings. We’ve been keeping him back under there.”

Ray peered under the kids’ pyjamas, let out a sigh and said, “Here we go!”

He then started pulling items off the shelves and mused, “It’s not every day you see a snake in the Big W baby section.”

The snake catcher, who has over 30 years of experience working with reptiles, then expertly caught the snake by the tail, holding it up for everyone to see.

The snake was a juvenile, measuring around 80 to 90 centimetres, and was later released back into the wild.

Ray noted that the Big W is located near the bush in Mittagong, which gets quite hot, leading snakes to seek out cool places to escape the sun.

However, he was unsure how the snake managed to enter the store and encouraged staff to review security footage to determine how it got in.

“What a place to be … Big W,” he joked. “A juvenile red-belly in the baby section.”

One staff member admitted she had “goosebumps” and “couldn’t deal” during the incident, but she laughed with relief once the snake was safely caught.

The red-bellied black snake was hiding underneath kids’ pyjamas. Picture: Facebook/Southern Highlands and South Coast Snake Catchers

Naturally, Aussies took to the comments section to joke about the situation.

“I didn’t know they sold them there,” one person quipped.

“Year of the snake!” another commented, referencing the Chinese zodiac.

“Wanted to buy PJs for winter,” another chuckled.

When someone asked Ray why the snake didn’t flee while he was trying to catch it, he explained that it was due to his behaviour.

“I’m not posing a threat,” he explained.

Ray the snake catcher said the red-belly was a juvenile that was around 80 to 90 cm long. Picture: Facebook/Southern Highlands and South Coast Snake Catchers

It comes just two months after a Sydney couple found a red bellied-black snake in their daughter’s toy room.

The family were at their home in Picton, in Sydney’s southwest, when the venomous creature made its way into their house, and caught the attention of the family’s two dogs.

A snake curled up among a pile of toys on the floor at a family home in Sydney. Picture: Supplied to news.com.au

Reptile Relocation Sydney was called and they found the snake curled up near a pink Barbie pillow, with its head buried in nearby toys.

Cory the snake catcher grabbed the reptile by the tail, put it in the bag and tied it up before releasing it.

Although red-bellied black snakes are venomous, they are considered one of the least dangerous snakes in Australia, with no recorded deaths resulting from their bite.

Despite this, they are one of the most frequently encountered snakes on the east coast of Australia.

Originally published as Shoppers stunned over dangerous find in Big W baby section