Big snake gives Sitzler Construction director bigger fright in Territory toilet
A TWO-METRE long snake dubbed the “boa constructor” had to be removed from the dunnies at local building firm Sitzler last week, but not before giving one of the Territory’s most powerful men the fright of his life
Northern Territory
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A TWO-METRE long snake dubbed the “boa constructor” had to be removed from the dunnies at local building firm Sitzler last week, but not before giving one of the Territory’s most powerful men the fright of his life.
It’s the stuff of nightmares — when a routine trip to the loo turns into an encounter with a fully-grown water python, a species which has been spotted in the wild devouring freshwater crocs whole.
Sitzler Construction director Michael Sitzler, who last year ranked 44th on the NT News most powerful list, lifted the lid on every toilet-goer’s gravest fear on Friday.
Those in the office said their boss maintained his composure, despite the close call with the creature.
Sitzler employee Kristy Chatto said no one in the building knew at the time the fearsome snake was non-venomous. She said Parks and Wildlife snake catchers were concerned the snake might slither out of reach down the s-bend, possibly returning later.
“They told us to keep an eye on it,” she said.
When the snake catcher, coincidentally Ms Chatto’s father-in-law, arrived, all but its head had disappeared from sight.
“He absolutely saved the day,” she said.
The snake measured up at 2.2m, around average for a fully grown water python.
The Adelaide River floodplains are home to the densest population of water pythons in Australia.
In the wild, the snakes usually ambush their prey when it comes to feed beside the water.
Parks and Wildlife figures show the species accounts for 13 per cent of all snakes removed from homes by government snake handlers each year. The species is known to occasionally inflict a painful, bloody bite when threatened.
The species typically crushes its prey, including rats, bandicoots and wallabies to death.