Photographer ditches camera after highly venomous snake gets too close for comfort

A PERTH wildlife photographer was forced to ditch his equipment after highly venomous snake started to wrap itself around his camera.

A PERTH wildlife photographer had to ditch his camera after a close-up photo shoot of a highly venomous snake got a little too close for comfort.

Ross McGibbon, photographer and professional snake-catcher, was filming the Dugite moving through the grass at Lort River near Esperance, when the snake took an interest in his camera.

“I had to surrender my camera to the snake while it explored it with interest,” Mr McGibbon wrote on Facebook.

Dugites are native to Western Australia and are responsible for around 70 per cent of all snake bites reported at Perth hospital.

Their venom is highly toxic and can pose serious threats to humans.

“The snake then decided I was in-between it and its escape route. Watch as the snake uses defensive posturing to intimidate me into retreating to allow it room to escape,” he said.

The snake became defensive when looking for an escape route. Picture: Ross McGibbon Reptile Photography/Facebook

Mr McGibbon clarified that this behaviour was instinctual and shouldn’t be mistaken for aggression or chasing and that snakes usually only bite humans as a “last resort” when trying to escape.

“It is certainly not because snakes are evil and want to harm people and their pets. They are simply wild animals trying to survive in a hostile environment,” he said.

While the idea of being that close to a snake may be terrifying for some, Mr McGibbon said that he posted the video and explainer to help break down the negative stigma that surrounded snakes.