Snake found in grave during Leppington Cemetery funeral
Funeral attendees made a grave discovery on Thursday, finding a red-bellied black snake inside their beloved’s grave before a man with “balls of steel” came to the rescue. SEE THE VIDEO.
NSW
Don't miss out on the headlines from NSW. Followed categories will be added to My News.
A snake wrangler has been applauded for having “balls of steel” after a red-bellied black snake was found slithering six feet under during a funeral in western Sydney.
Cory Kerewaro came to the rescue on Wednesday afternoon after a Leppington Cemetery funeral director spotted the venomous snake inside an open grave moments before a coffin was to be lowered into it.
The discovery brought the ceremony to a standstill as Mr Kerewaro was called in to remove the deadly critter, which is classified as one of the most venomous in the world.
Video of the snake removal shows Mr Kerewaro, from Reptile Relocation Sydney, lowering himself into the grave with a ladder before using a prong to pick up the snake.
Attendees are seen standing just metres away and looking on in horror as the snake-wrangler puts the reptile into a bag and takes it away.
Mr Kerewaro said the crowd was relieved to move on with the ceremony and said he had “balls of steel” for taking the task in his stride.
The find was a first for the reptile expert of three years, who says he has never come across a snake in a grave.
The snake has been released back into the wild.