A woman in Hervey Bay, eastern Australia, was interrupted during dinner on Tuesday night by the sound of a 7-foot python suffocating a cat-sized possum on her back porch.
Snake catcher Drew Godfrey of the Hervey Bay Snake Catchers was called to the scene to help remove the giant snake. But that wasn’t the end of the story.
Up in the rafters was a baby opossum, about 4 months old, shaking after losing its mother. “It’s got a few more months to milk, so this possum needs a mother,” Godfrey said in footage of the incident, which he shared on YouTube and can be seen below.
“I was able to approach the baby opossum easily because it was used to people and was also a little shocked,” Godfrey said news week. “I put a towel over it and just picked it up.” In order to survive, the baby opossum must be hand-reared. It was taken to the exotic port on the east coast.
Coastal carpet pythons are a subspecies of carpet pythons found primarily along the east coast of Australia. According to the Queensland Department of Environment and Science, the species can grow to over 13 feet long, although it rarely exceeds 8 feet.
Carpet pythons are non-venomous and kill their prey by constriction. “Carpet pythons are incredibly strong,” Godfrey said. “They ambush their prey and bite it before wrapping themselves around the animal’s body and suffocating it.”
Although they are usually harmless to humans, their bites can still be very painful. Godfrey said they tend not to bite unless molested. “When they’re treated kindly, they’re very friendly and inquisitive animals with people,” he said.
The snake in question, of course, was only doing what snakes do: try to eat. “The homeowner was saddened by the possum as she used to feed it fruit and it had been there for years, but she also understood that the snake also needs to eat and she appreciated the snake’s beauty and ability to eat it , very large prey,” Godfrey said.
Warning – The video embedded below contains images that some readers may find disturbing.
In response to a Facebook post by the Hervey Bay Snake Catchers, the East Coast Exotic Haven said the baby opossum was “understandably traumatized but healthy.”
Other users also thanked Godfrey for saving the baby possum.
“I love that you’re not just concerned about the snakes, but about any other wildlife that might be harmed or injured in the process,” said one user. “I hope the little baby manages to thrive and grow without mom and well done for the caring work you have done.”
