While the warmer weather usually sees families enjoying a snag or two on the barbecue, a Brisbane family got more than they bargained for when two giant pythons decided to make the inside of the family grill their home.
In amazing footage obtained exclusively by 7 News Brisbane, a fearless grandmother can be seen taking on the two massive pythons, refusing to let the reptiles get in the way of her family’s meal.
Faye Morgan, who is 81, can be seen bravely lifting the lid of the barbecue where the two snakes were slithering around inside. As this is happening, a man who is thought to be her son is standing nearby and watching on, ready to trap the snakes in a box.
The nana didn’t wear any protective gear or gloves and instead reached in and grabbed for the snake with her bare hands. Almost effortlessly, Faye used one of her hands to grab the first snake by its tail and her second hand to grab its head.
In one part of the video that would be enough to make the skin crawl on some, the snake’s head was just centimetres from her own face. With the help of her male accomplice, Faye then places the first snake in a box. Without flinching, she then makes her way back to the barbecue to retrieve the second snake.
Clearly unhappy with being moved, the snake could be seen thrashing its body around. Remarkably, Faye and her son needed to open the same box where she’d already placed the first snake to pop the second one in.
“81-year-old nanna Faye Morgan has saved the day, by pulling two pythons from a barbecue in Brisbane on the weekend,” 7 News Brisbane said of the clip. And viewers were quick to share their thoughts on the snake rescue.
One person on Facebook wrote: “Start the bbq, I’m sure they would vacate quickly. No seriously, good work to the nana and even better good work to the brave son holding that lid. That must have been nerve-wracking for him.”
Another comment read: “Nothing is going to stop nan from having BBQ on Sunday – good one Nanna Faye, braver woman than I will ever be.”
A third message added: “This woman is so AMAZING. I aspire to be like her one day she doesn’t even look frightened just trying to get them out safely and quick as possible.”
While many are praising Faye for her bravery, her snake rescue came just days after a professional snake catcher on the Sunshine Coast encouraged people not to try and capture snakes.
In a post shared by The Snake Catcher 24/7 – Sunshine Coast page on Facebook, locals are being warned that although snakes can be scary, trying to catch them can cause them harm.
“Please DO NOT interfere with a snake, especially if you have called us and we are on our way,” the post warned. “DO NOT try to catch or kill a snake either. Please let us do our job and just keep an eye on the snake as best you can until we arrive. If it has disappeared by the time we get to your home we will do our best to find it.”
Snake breeding season has officially begun in Australia, with an increased risk of snakes appearing in homes, backyards, schools and other urban areas as snakes search for a mate. If you see a snake (or two, in Faye’s case), it’s best to contact a snake catcher so it can be safely relocated.