One quiet afternoon in Australia, a library visitor was strolling along the path outside when they suddenly froze mid-step. Beneath their shoe was what looked like a garden hose — until it slithered.
The “hose” was, in fact, a snake.
Startled but quick-thinking, the passerby dashed inside to alert the library staff. Determined to keep everyone safe — including the unexpected guest — the staff immediately called Hodgsons Snakes Rescue and Removal for help.
“The staff at the library kept an eye on it as it crossed the road and went under a roller door into a café,” Hodgsons Snakes Rescue and Removal wrote on Facebook. “That’s where the excellent café staff took over, watching it move around the back garden area until it settled near a chain-link fence. That’s where we found it when we turned up.”
By the time rescuer Gianni Hodgson arrived, the snake had vanished into the foliage — or so it seemed.
“It took me about 30 seconds [to find him], although those keeping an eye on it had lost sight of it,” Hodgson told The Dodo.
The elusive visitor turned out to be a red-bellied black snake — a venomous but relatively shy species native to Australia. Hodgson and his team carefully captured the snake and relocated him to a more suitable home.
“Because he was in the middle of town, we relocated him to an area of bush outside of town near a lake,” Hodgson said.
Later, Hodgson posted a photo of the camouflaged snake on Facebook, challenging his followers to “find the snake” — a game he often plays to help people learn just how easily snakes can blend into their surroundings.
The encounter ended perfectly: the snake found a safe new home, and everyone else got a free nature lesson — plus a fun round of hide-and-seek they’ll never forget.
You can join in the game and test your spotting skills on Hodgsons Snakes Rescue and Removal’s Facebook page.
