SNAKES ALIVE! Catcher tells of scaly encounters in Bundy

JOSH Sharma started catching snakes as a kid, now, it’s his job.

JOSH Sharma started catching snakes as a kid, now, it's his job.

With lots of different types of scaly critters in the region, he Bundaberg snake catcher never knows what the day will bring.

"I started catching snakes as a kid out of the bush, much to my parents' disgust and by the age of about 10 I started to breed pythons as a hobby," he said.

"As I got older I progressed to keeping venomous snakes."

Josh Sharma has been busy catching snakes around the region and relocating them into the wild.

Ten years ago, Mr Sharma took a course in venomous snake handling to acquire a damage mitigation permit to start a snake-catching business.

"I had the last two seasons off due to work and family commitments, but as of August this year I decided to get back into it full-time," he said.

Josh Sharma pulls a snake from a car.

Just like any job, Mr Sharma says there are upsides and downsides.

"The most rewarding part of this job is safely removing snakes out of people's homes or yards, cars, etc and seeing the smile on their faces when I have given them peace of mind that the snake has been removed safely," he said.

Josh Sharma has been busy catching snakes around the region and relocating them into the wild.

"The toughest part of my job is meeting customers whose pets have been harmed or killed by highly venomous snakes, or if a snake cannot be found to be relocated."

While there are plenty of snakes about, Mr Sharma said snake numbers had not been much higher than usual.

"This season has not been overly busy as compared to previous seasons, possibly due to the slow increase in night temperatures and the fact that I have been out for a couple of seasons," Mr Sharma said.

But with 25 types of snakes in the region, there's still plenty about.

"The most commonly caught snakes around the region are eastern browns, red bellied black snakes, common tree snakes, pythons, yellow-faced whip snakes and brown tree snakes," he said.

Josh Sharma has been busy catching snakes around the region and relocating them into the wild.

"Keelbacks are another commonly caught species, these are a really cool snake as they are the only snake in Australia that can eat cane toads and survive the toxins."

Mr Sharma offered some practical tips for keeping snakes away from homes.

"Snakes require three things - food, water and shelter," he said.

"If you keep a neat and tidy yard without a lot of rubbish and clutter laying around on the ground leaning up on fences, etc, you will reduce the amount of places that snakes can live and shelter on your property."

Mr Sharma said if people kept chickens or birds, they could take measures to control rodent numbers.

Josh Sharma has been busy catching snakes around the region and relocating them into the wild.

"If you keep birds or chickens, you should implement an effective rodent baiting program as to stop mice and rats building up around your pens and averies," he said.

"Replace baits once a month as to keep on top of the rodents."

Mr Sharma said most snakes just wanted to get away.

"If you see a snake and can safely move away from it, do so," he said.

"If you happen to suddenly have a snake your feet and cannot safely move away, move on, as snakes will move out of your way, given the opportunity."

Mr Sharma said it was never wise to try to catch or kill a snake.

"Never attempt to catch or kill a snake, as this is how most people get bitten," he said.

"Keep an eye on the snake from a safe distance and call a licensed and insured professional to come out and remove it, like myself."

Mr Sharma removes both snakes and other reptiles.

Scaly Critters Catchers can be called on 0400 262 020.

Originally published as SNAKES ALIVE! Catcher tells of scaly encounters in Bundy