Sydney Wildlife Rescue: Live peacefully with our scaly critters

Many of us live on the Beaches for its natural beauty, unspoilt bushland and wildlife diversity. Snakes are an integral part of our ecosystem, playing a crucial role in maintaining balance. Without them, we could face being overrun by rodents, many of which carry harmful diseases.

Personally, I love snakes! They are quiet and clean, mind their own business, and perform a free pest extermination service. They don’t dig up the garden, wake you up at 5am, or eat the rose-bushes or anything from the veggie patch. 

Australia is home to at least 200 species of snakes, the Beaches home to 13 of those, mostly non-venomous or only mildly venomous (venom not medically significant to humans). The others, despite being classified as ‘dangerously venomous’, are usually in a big hurry to get away from us and avoid confrontation. 

The only snake that is a danger to you is the one you interfere with. Generally, snakes will only hang around if your property provides one, or both, of the following: Food and/or Habitat. To discourage snakes from settling in your yard, here are some practical tips:

Maintain your property

Keep your property free of debris, woodpiles, discarded building supplies. Keep the grass nice and short. If there is nowhere to hide, they won’t stay. Don’t leave garbage and food scraps lying around. This attracts rats. Rats attract snakes. 

Train your pets

Teach your pets to stay away from wildlife – for their safety as well as that of the wildlife. I grew up in Zimbabwe with puff-adders, cobras, boomslangs etc. My parents taught all our pets to respond to instant recall and we never had any untoward pet-wildlife interactions.

Educate your children

Snakes are extremely fascinating to children, and they should be encouraged to appreciate them. We recommend appreciation from a distance, however, so as not to panic the animal or to make them feel cornered. Kids with an appreciation, a love and a respect for snakes are much more likely to be safe around them. 

Stay safe while bushwalking

Wear socks and sturdy shoes. Try to take a compression bandage with you. Most snakes sunning themselves on pathways will slither off when they sense vibrations, but if you surprise one, just wait quietly for it to recover and move off. They are only interested in finding safety and avoiding confrontation. Avoid panicked or quick movements which may frighten them.

Gardening precautions

Always wear sturdy boots and gardening gloves. Don’t leave your shoes outside. Snakes (and spiders) love a nice warm, dark hidey-hole. 

If a snake enters your home

Don’t panic. Remove people and pets from the room and call us on (02) 9413 4300. Keep an eye on the snake’s whereabouts so that when the snake-catcher arrives, they won’t have to search for hours! If not comfortable doing this, close the door to the room the snake is in and place a rolled-up towel across the bottom. Snakes generally end up indoors because they have been brought inside by a pet. These snakes have usually sustained an injury during the interaction and will need to be rescued and given treatment. 

NEVER attempt to harm or handle any snake. Snakes are protected and harming one could result in a hefty fine and/or jail time. Most importantly, be kind to snakes. They are truly remarkable creatures.