Yankalilla family terrorised, beloved pet cat killed by eastern brown snake on Australia Day

No nearby vets were open on Australia Day as a family pet was bitten by a snake. Then the snake struck again leaving one of the owners in hospital.

“Terrorised” by a deadly snake, a Yankalilla father was sent to hospital and a family pet killed within hours of each other.

Two-year-old pet cat, Monty, wandered into the Mason family home about 1.30am on Australia Day when his owners Trish Mason and Daniel Kirkbride noticed he was “acting a bit funny”.

By 2.30am, Ms Mason knew that Monty had been bitten by a snake and spent the rest of the night trying to keep him calm.

“He wouldn’t have made it to the [Small Animal Specialist Hospital], I was crying. I said to them on the phone ‘I need something closer’. It was 7.30am and we just started driving to Morphett Vale [vet],” Ms Mason said.

Daniel Kirkbride spent a night in Victor Harbor hospital after being bitten by an eastern brown snake. Picture: supplied

Ms Mason said she’d contacted vets at Echunga, Willunga, Meadows, Goolwa, but “no one answered”.

Monty sadly passed away in the car.

Ms Mason and Mr Kirkbride returned to their Yankalilla home about 10.30am but it wasn’t long before “chaotic tragedy” struck again as the same metre-long eastern brown snake that bit Monty had bitten Mr Kirkbride’s foot.

“He was walking out of the shed, [and the snake] came out from a cupboard,” Ms Mason said.

“He said he was on fire inside.

“I was at Mitre 10 at the time, and my son Jake rang me. He was as cool as a cucumber, he directed the ambulance where to go, he did everything right.”

Mr Kirkbride fortunately received a dry bite – a bite without venom – but stayed in hospital in Victor Harbor until 8am the following morning.

Monty Mason was killed by an eastern brown snake on Australia Day. Picture: supplied

Two weeks after a tragic Australia Day for the Mason family, snake catcher Ange Broadstock visited the Yankalilla property and caught the snake sitting inside a section of the family’s canary cage attempting to feed off the birds.

Metre-long eastern brown snake caught by Ange Broadstock from a Yankalilla home. Picture: Ange Broadstock

Ms Mason said the family had seen snakes on the property before, especially with so much bushland around the home.

And with 23 “adopted pet canaries”, it led to a rat problem at the home, the perfect food for snakes.

Ms Mason said the whole ordeal “messed with the family” for a while, especially because Monty was such a loved pet.

“Monty was a magnificent cat, he was only young, he was only two-years-old, he was a runt but had a brilliant personality,” she said.

“I didn’t sleep the night before with the cat, and I didn’t sleep the next night either with Daniel.”

If bitten by a snake, Ms Broadstock said the best thing to do was stay still, apply an immobilisation bandage and call an ambulance.

“Your initial first aid will save your life,” she said.

Originally published as Yankalilla family terrorised, beloved pet cat killed by eastern brown snake on Australia Day