We had a brief bit of excitement here during last Monday morning’s walk. Thriller had a good “hunt” for bunnies off-lead down in the old orchard, and wanted to continue, however the lead was placed back on her collar to get the little Miss to walk further afield. Walking on-lead back uphill to the glasshouse and beyond, I was distracted by an overhead twig that hit me in the forehead, so I broke it off from its parent branch, looked back at where Thriller and I were walking, and there, about a foot in front of Thriller, and two feet in front of me, was a very long coiled Brown Snake on the dew dampened grass in the shade.
Thriller’s domain only contains two sorts of snakes, aggressive Eastern Brown Snakes and Red-belly Black snakes who at least prefer “flight to fight”. Unfortunately, both generally make the lists of the world’s more venomous snakes.
The brown “coils” first registered as an odd-shaped piece of bark shed from a gumtree, then instantly I realized what it was – and panic! Thoughts of it being two Brown Snakes entered my mind by the number of coils. I jerked Thriller’s lead away while at the same time grabbing the lead with my other hand for greater purchase on the lead. Thriller had her weight on her right paw, and with all my strength I yanked her bodily to the right which had her raised left paw swinging perilously close to the snake, who by then had raised its head in apparent defense from unwelcome visitors. The Brown must have been asleep as its body was quite flaccid Our approach woke it as we were literally right on it when friend snake was roused from its slumbers. It must have been too long in the damp shade and therefore too lethargic for an attack, though Thriller’s left paw and the snake’s head were within three inches of each other – my mind was racing with thoughts of getting Thriller up to the University vets PDQ if bit! Anyway, I yanked Thriller back around and dragged the startled Miss away from the then slowly departing snake – I was surprised that it did not attack or pursue us. The Brown decamped the scene into the glasshouse. Thriller and I stopped 25 to 30 feet from the snake and I squatted next to my little darling – only then was I aware of how hard my heart was pounding inside my chest! It was really THUMPING in there! Thriller simply sat. Unsure what Her Ladyship’s thoughts were. Unsure even if Thriller saw the snake, or if she knew it was a threat. She did seem most affectionate, perhaps sensing my “distress”, or was grateful for having been saved from the Brown. I felt that she was aware of the snake, but only after I jerked her away from walking on it.
Here’s hoping that don’t happen too often! But then, that’s our summer Downunder.
Arthur Witten
Thriller – My front end was suddenly airborne, I didn’t know the old boy had it in him!