Snake handler gets busy as snake sightings start early this year

The snake sightings started earlier this year and Mr McGibbon has been removing snakes from people's properties since last month.

Mr McGibbon has been a snake catcher for the past 20 years and had rescued snakes from residential and market areas of Goulburn and Southern Highlands.

Since the start of August, he has been responded to 28 callouts.

"The snake sightings started after the weather became a bit warmer in August. As the weather is set to get warmer, I am expecting these calls to increase," the licensed snake catcher said.

"Apart from the heat from the sun, recent rainfall forced snakes to come out of their holes earlier than usual."

So far, he has been called to the areas of Bundanoon, Exeter, Moss Vale, Bowral and Illawara to remove snakes.

In one instance, he removed a red-bellied snake that had climbed into the engine bay of a landscaper truck.

Mr McGibbon tells people that if they see a snake, they shouldn't try to catch or kill it. Instead, they should keep a watch and make a note of its movement while maintaining their distance and contact a licensed snake handler.

He advises everyone to tidy up and keep their yards and lawns clean as having a congested garden provides a safe passageway for snakes.

However, he asks them to not eliminate too many hide points while tidying up the yard.

"If a snake is on your property, then the absence of any hide point will give them no option to retreat and it will automatically go into defence mode because it is unable to hide. With the illumination of hide points it will only have one option but to defend itself," he added.

Ray McGibbon can be contacted on 0400 734 225.

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