An Opportunity to Handle Monster Snakes?

[markannab]

Hi all

I've been involved in snake relocation for a couple of years and have handled snakes up to seven feet. Plus I own a five foot carpet which I hope will get up in size.

But I'd love the opportunity to handle/assist with handling a truly large snake - just for "the experience". A full-grown scrub, a retic, a burmese - any of these would be good. My wife and I are visit Cairns from 25 December to about the 6 January. So I emailed a couple of reptile zoos about the possibility of any behind-the-scenes involved I may be able to have. I acknowledge, of course, issues about liability and that will likely stop me in my tracks. I'm also likely not the first to ask. Still, the only reply I got was, "You can join our Wildlife Encounters". I had a look at what I'd be "encountering" - a six or seven foot python. Not much thrill there.

Can anyone suggest if there's any way of getting some "hands on" while up that way? It may be to help move a snake, to feed it on the end of a very, very long pole, . . . you get the idea.

Thanks,
Mark.

 

[Stuart]

Hey Mark,

Cairns Snake Removals on Facebook recently had a 5m (According to FB) Scrubby they were looking after, after they were called to remove it. Maybe touch base with those guys and they might be able to offer assistance of advice.

 

[markannab]

Great. Thanks. I've PM'ed him.

 

[Colubrid]

Get your hiking boots on and go for a herp

 

[markannab]

I was up that way in May in the Daintree. Kept my eyes out in the hope . . .

 

[ilovepythons]

Cairns Tropical Zoo offers Burmese Python Animal Encounters with large 4m+ Burmese Pythons. It is the only zoo in North Queensland with large exotic pythons. This is generally a book on the day of arrival activity and its availability cannot always be guaranteed on a given day. Best to ring the zoo for more information.

 

[Variety]

Make sure you take lots of photos for us!

 

[CaptainRatbag]

Make sure you take lots of photos for us!

And if you go herping in the scrub, let us know what hospital you are in if you try to handle a big wild one

 

[JasonL]

Cairns is crawling with scrubbies...

 

[43nickw]

cairns zoo

as mentioned cairns does a one on one for a small fee this is one of the pythons

 

[-Peter]

Cairns Tropical Zoo offers Burmese Python Animal Encounters with large 4m+ Burmese Pythons. It is the only zoo in North Queensland with large exotic pythons. This is generally a book on the day of arrival activity and its availability cannot always be guaranteed on a given day. Best to ring the zoo for more information.

This is the closest you will get to a direct response from the Cairns Zoo.

 

[markannab]

That Burmese isn't too bad. I mis-judged. They're the ones who emailed in response. When I looked at the website, here's someone holding a fairly ordinary-sized snake.

 

[JasonL]

Nip over to SE asia, cheap flights, low cost hol and minimal regulations....