Australia: Sunshine woman rescued from clutches of pet python

A woman hailing from Sunshine Coast, Australia, was saved from the clutches of her pet python after her housemate made a frantic call to a snake catcher. The woman who wishes not to be named was handling her pet black-headed python when the snake bit her on the thumb and constricted her hands together. Alerted by her screams, her housemate tried to uncoil the snake but failed. He then called up Stuart Mckenzie, a 24-hour snake catcher.

"So I received a call at 3 this morning from a guy who woke up due to the screams of his roommate who had been bitten by her pet black-headed python," McKenzie posted on Facebook. "After the snake had stopped biting her, it continued to constrict her hands together."

McKenzie said he realised the gravity of the situation once her housemate sent him a photo of the snake and started instructing him over the phone on how to remove it.

"The guy was very relaxed and kept her calm while he tried to uncoil the snake, but with no luck," he said. "I then told him that he would have to head-grab the python in order to be a bit more forceful with uncoiling it.

"After about 20 mins on the phone they were finally able to get the snake off her hands safely and back into the enclosure. Thank goodness for that. At one stage I thought I was going to have to get in my car and drive over and give them a hand."

McKenzie said it was the first time he had ever helped someone over the phone. He said it was normal for a python to wrap around something that it bites.

"Most of the time they just bite and let go as a defensive thing but sometimes they will bite and hold on, that's when they coil up," he told ABC.

He said black-headed pythons are normally found in North Queensland, not on the Sunshine Coast.