Snakey Business...
23 April 2008

Every now and then an event can happen, which in that split second can change the course of the rest of your life...and this was definately one of those moments where anything could have happened.

I'll set the scene...

Sunday afternoon 20 April 2008, about 3:30pm, and Sharon was off playing soccer. I had the little kiddies all to myself for the afternoon.
Before Sharon walked out the door, she said, "Don't mess up the house". So I decided it was best to go and do something away from the home.
I packed the kiddies into the Mazda Tribute with the intent of taking them through the car wash, the car was filthy on the exterior, and this would be a something a bit different for them.

We got to the petrol station, but the car wash was broken...Hmmm The car is loaded up, and I have just bought a bag of Allens Snakes for the kids if they wanted something to chew on while we were going through the carwash.
Lets all go to Telopea Park instead - What a great idea!...

So we get to the park, and being a lovely Autumn day it was busy. Lots of big kids on the swings, probably not the safest for three little ones. Then I saw the colourful Autumn leaves on the ground in the other direction.
The Little ones had been having fun throwing leaves at each other at home, and this was no different.

We threw the leaves in the air and made a small mound which Kaitlyn had fun throwing herself into. Bryce started to lose interest so he started picking up sticks, Kaitlyn started running around in the leaves and Morgan was happy enough to keep on throwing them into the air.

The little ones were keeping themselves entertained, I was in the middle of them, doing the parental checking.

I looked at Morgan about 3 metres to my left and thought to myself she is ok, she is playing with the leaves.
I looked at Bryce about a metre to my right, he was walking around, looking at things on the ground.
I looked at Kaitlyn, she was right next to me, after running between Morgan and myself.

I looked at Morgan and she was still playing with the leaves.
I looked at Bryce, and i noticed that he had found someones, toy, rubber snake.
He had it in both hands and was rolling it over.....
After a surreal second I realised,

IT WASN'T RUBBER!


My little man had found a real snake at Telopea Park. Its head was out in front like it was searching for something and Brycey had it in his hands still half coiled up....

I yelled at Bryce, something like: "Brycey, Brycey, Brycey, Put it down, Put it down, Put it down".. My eyes were wide and my heart was in my throat, I could barely speak.

Maybe it was the urgency in my voice, maybe it was just that Bryce knew it was different, but he put the snake down gently and it took off through the grass and disappeared down a hole at the base of a tree.
I got a very good look at it. It was a brown and silver in colour, at least a metre long and it was quite slender with not a big head at all. I already had my suspicions that it was a brown snake. I have seen lots of pictures, seen a few in real life, and run over a few in the car but something inside me hoped that it was something less dangerous.

I was still in shock, I grabbed Bryce and sqeezed him close and grabbed Kaitlyn who saw the whole thing. I stared at the hole for a few more seconds and grabbed Morgan, we got out of there. I had no Mobile Phone in the car. I went home and picked it up, took them to Manuka Park so they could continue to play. And then I made some phone calls, Sharon and Mum.

That night I rang ACT Parks and they advised that more than likely it was a brown snake, and that I was also lucky the day was quite cool. Had it been summer, the story might have ended differently. ACT Parks advised that they would pass the information onto their day staff on Monday and they would deal with it.

I still haven't had a call from them about it..which makes me angry.. they should at least go and have a look. If they find nothing - GOOD. If they find it - RELOCATE IT. because next time someone may not be so lucky.

I have done my fair share of First Aid Courses and know that a bite from a Brown Snake can be fatal for an Adult and bites to children are lethal.

I still think about that day and the what-if's continue to flow through my mind. But I am glad that it turned out the best for everyone...

Bryce must have picked it up quite gently; Being Autumn it was a coolish day; It wasn't in a "Bitey" mood - Whatever the reason, I am forever grateful that it decided not to turn on him, Just the thought of it gives me more than just a cold shiver.

I was only about a metre away from it and so I got a very good look at it - The beady black eyes, little black tongue flicking in and out tasting the air, and my little boy standing their holding a wild and one of Australia's deadliest snakes in his 16 month old hands...

That night, we didn't eat the packet of snakes...

These aren't pictures of the snake Bryce had in his hands - It did look pretty much the same especially the following first image!