Teacher Discovers Someone Deadly Lurking Behind Child's Backpack

“That’s not a toy …”

Recently, a teacher at a daycare center in Coombabah, Australia, was going to grab one of the children’s backpacks out of its cubby when she noticed something terrifying. What she initially thought was a toy in the back of the cubby was breathing, so she told everyone to vacate the room.

Curled up behind the child’s bag was a deadly red-bellied black snake.

snake behind backpack
Facebook/Hudson Snake Catching - Gold Coast Snake Catcher

Teachers kept the space clear and quiet until Tim Hudson of Hudson Snake Catching arrived. Even Hudson, who regularly deals with snakes, was stunned to see such a dangerous animal lurking among children’s things.

“I was shocked [to see] it was in the bag area inside a classroom,” Hudson told The Dodo. “As a parent of a 3-year-old in childcare, it certainly [is] a concern.”

Carefully, Hudson secured the snake’s tail and gently placed him on the ground before luring him into a snake-catching bag.

snake being dragged
Facebook/Hudson Snake Catching - Gold Coast Snake Catcher

“That’s not a toy snake,” Hudson wrote in a video of the capture posted to Facebook.

Facebook/Hudson Snake Catching - Gold Coast Snake Catcher

Once the snake’s capture has been reported to state authorities, the snake will be taken to a habitat reserved for wildlife conservation. Hudson noted that this habitat is far enough away from the school that the snake will be unable to return.

Hudson is glad that the daycare staff quickly called for professional help and that no one was harmed. This isn’t the only red-bellied black snake who startled someone this past February. A man in Australia was stunned when he recently found one curled inside his shoe. Reptile Relocation Sydney, the group that helped remove the snake from the shoe, has posted a number of times this year about red-bellied black snakes being found in urban areas.

According to the Australia Museum, red-bellied black snakes are “largely inoffensive,” despite their potentially deadly venom. These snakes like to live in moist areas, like lakes or swamps, and often take shelter in dense grass or under rocks.

Surely the classroom snake, who likely had just been looking for somewhere quiet to rest for a bit, is happy to be headed back where he belongs.

To help other animals like this snake, call Hudson Snake Catching at 0435-954-986 to make a donation, or make a donation to the Currumbim Wildlife Hospital, where snakes like these are often taken to recover.