'World's deadliest snake' found hidden at retirement home – but can you spot it?

24 February 2024 , 20:22

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Making up 65% of snake-related deaths from 2000 to 2016, this deadly snake breed stunned retirees (Image: Credit: Pen News/Ange Broadstock)

One of the "world's deadliest snakes" has been found tucked away at a retirement home in a nearly impossible to find spot.

Ange Broadstock from Snake Catchers Adelaide was called to the property in Australia to deal with the startling snake which accounts for 65% of the snake-related deaths between 2000 and 2016. The dangerous beast was uncovered by an unsuspecting resident sitting down to eat her lunch.

But before tucking in to her food she found "something wriggling right by her feet" and leapt up and away from the eastern brown snake. The snake managed to evade residents and capture, hiding out in the home which left snake catcher Broadstock searching everywhere for the animal.

She said: "The lady was about to sit down and eat her lunch when she noticed something wriggling right by her feet. She went to get her phone and when she came back it was nowhere to be seen. It certainly startled her. It was an eastern brown snake – the second most venomous land snake in the world."

A snake hunter found the venomous beast tucked away at the retirement home (Credit: Pen News/Ange Broadstock)

Eastern brown snakes are second in venom but are a firm first place for fatal attacks. Ms Broadstock said: "A neighbour and staff member came through, as they weren't sure whether to believe her that it was a snake. They opened the door and looked everywhere but couldn't find it."

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She continued: "When I arrived at the unit, I listened to her story, then the first place I looked was the sliding door and there it was – easy! It was so well hidden in the door frame that they opened the door when they were looking for the snake and didn't even see it there. I know they go for the first available hiding spot and she didn't have much else in the unit for hiding under or behind, so it was an easy one for me."

Ange now believes the snake was coaxed inside the property by the hot weather as the "very timid shy animals" often evade the sun. They are at their most dangerous from a young age though, with the animal since released back into the bush land. She added: "I released the snake back into the bush land. The snake was about two years old, but even when they hatch they are highly venomous."

Michael Havis