Venomous baby snake found in banana section of Darlinghurst Aldi store

Shoppers were left stunned after finding a venomous baby snake slithering in the banana section of an inner Sydney Aldi store.

You’d be forgiven for thinking this supermarket in Sydney’s inner-east was a zoo after shoppers were greeted by a snake poking out from a produce shelf.

The mildly venomous baby brown tree snake was found curled up in the banana section of Aldi in Darlinghurst on Tuesday afternoon.

Native to Australia but most commonly found in Queensland and down the east coast, the snake is likely to have hitched a ride hidden in a bunch of bananas to the Sydney store.

Staff are understood to have called a snake catcher to collect the reptile as it is a protected species.

Snakes alive … The mildly venomous brown tree snake was found curled up in the Darlinghurst Aldi store. Picture: Supplied

Also known as the ‘brown catsnake’ or ‘night tiger’, these reptiles possess arboreal rear-fangs and can grow up to two metres in length. They prey upon birds, lizards, bats and mice.

Aldi Darlinghurst store manager Nick confirmed the incident before referring the Telegraph to contact head office.

“It was a snake in bananas,” he said.

“There’s nothing much to tell.”

Asked if it was a regular occurrence, he added: “ask the snake wranglers”.

When contacted, an ALDI spokesperson said: “Late yesterday afternoon, an unexpected visitor was spotted in the ALDI Darlinghurst store. While we always appreciate our customers, our stores are not the most appropriate habitat for wildlife. As a matter of caution, ALDI closed the store to customers and sought immediate assistance from a reptile expert. The banana bandit is currently being relocated to its natural habitat in far North Queensland. We are working closely with our produce suppliers to investigate how the incident could have occurred and ensure it doesn’t happen again.”

The Daily Telegraph contacted NSW wildlife rescue organisation, WIRES, for comment.

“WIRES is receiving an increase in calls about snakes as the weather warms up and they can turn up in unusual places like hitching rides on trailers when families are on holidays right through to being found in swimming pool skimmer boxes,” WIRES spokesman John Grant said.

Aldi Darlinghurst where a brown tree snake was found on Tuesday. Picture: Jonathan Moran.

“The best advice is always avoid a snake where possible and treat every snake as being potentially venomous – and never try to catch it or harm it as you put yourself at risk of being bitten.

“Stay calm and restrain any pet dogs or cats and call WIRES or your nearest wildlife rescue group for advice. Snakes play an important role in maintaining biodiversity and they are protected species.

“They are mostly just passing through on the hunt for food and don’t pose any threat if left alone.”

It is not the first time a snake has been found in the fruit and vegetable section.

In the UK in July, Aldi shopper Neville Linton found a non-venomous ladder snake in a bunch of broccoli he’d purchased at the supermarket.

An adult Brown Tree Snake. Picture: Yvonne Hill.

The snake was later taken to a local zoo.

And in April 2021, a venomous pale-headed snake thought to have hitched a ride from Queensland to Sydney was found in a bag of lettuce at an Aldi Sydney store.

With the assistance of WIRES, the snake was driven nearly 1000km in a “relay” to Toowoomba, to release it in the region where the lettuce was picked.

“Everything has a right to live and go back to where they belong,” WIRES responder Amy Wregg told the ABC at the time.

“You get the haters that would rather see (a snake) chopped up in a million pieces. But he’s a little hatchling that just got himself into a bit of mischief. He’s venomous but he’s not deadly so it’s enough to make you sick but not kill you.”

Also in 2021 in Sydney, a large diamond python was found slithering on a shelf in the spice aisle of Glenorie Woolworths.