Snake spotted slithering in Oxford St, Sydney street bin

Astonishing video shows the moment a man extracts a snake – thought to be a diamond python – from a street bin in a posh Sydney postcode. WATCH THE VIDEO:

Bizarre vision has surfaced on social media of a snake slithering inside an Oxford St street bin on Valentine’s Day morning.

The snake, a diamond python, was spotted poking out of the Paddington bin much to the amusement and alarm of passers-by.

A herpetological hero ultimately came to the snake’s rescue after hearing from a friend it had been glad-wrapped into the bin to keep it from escaping until help arrived.

Benny Eisman – also known as The Accidental Herpetologist – has had a lifelong love of snakes, previously keeping them as pets and now maintaining an Instagram page in celebration of all things that slither.

He extracted the snake safely from the bin and put it in a leather bag, intending to transport it to a vet before Surry Hills police made contact with him and ensured the snake was handed safely off to Sydney Wildlife Rescue.

“It was a bizarre situation,” Mr Eisman told the Wentworth Courier.

“I’m a reptile enthusiast and I have been handling snakes most of my life, and now I take photos of them too.”

The carpet snake from the bin.

Mr Eisman said his main concern was the snake, which he said was unquestionably someone’s escaped pet.

“This was a really nice looking snake,” Mr Eisman said.

“It’s very healthy and very fat.”

A spokeswoman from Sydney Wildlife Rescue said about 11am today, the organisation was called to the urgent rescue of a diamond python which had been disposed of in a bin on Oxford St, Paddington.

She said nearby businesses were quick to respond to the animal in need and called Sydney Wildlife.
“The team were there within 25 minutes but when they arrived the snake had been removed from the bin by a passer-by member of the public who retrieved the snake from the bin and placed in a hot leather bag,” the spokeswoman said.

“Several photos and videos later, the snake was taken away on his motorbike.”
The spokeswoman said police quickly tracked down the man and with their help, Sydney Wildlife Rescue took the snake into care where it will be examined by a vet and treated according.

She warned that while diamond pythons are non-venomous, they can bite.

“It is not only illegal, but dangerous for any member of the public to attempt to handle a snake in the wild,” she said.

“Over 80 per cent of snake bites in Australia occur when a person attempts to capture or harm a snake.
“Whilst diamond pythons are native to Sydney, this snake is most likely a pet that was discarded by its owner. All reptiles that are kept as pets in NSW must be licenced by National Parks and Wildlife and must not be taken from the wild.”

The spokeswoman urged anyone with a wild animal in care they can no longer look after to call Sydney Wildlife Rescue for advice on ways of disposing of them that ensure the welfare and safety of the animal and the public.