dintony
Well-Known Member
Golf ball-eating snake released into wild
A SNAKE that had four golf balls removed from its gut in a world-first operation will be released back into "the rough" today.
Greg and Margaret Church discovered the 80cm-long carpet python on their northern New South Wales property in December.
The couple had put golf balls in their hen house to coax a broody hen to lay, and blamed their grandchildren when the balls went missing.
But then they found the very lumpy snake nearby, they put two and two together.
The snake, nicknamed Augusta, had surgery at Currumbin Wildlife Sanctuary on the Gold Coast.
After eight weeks' recuperation, it will be returned to the wild via the Church family's Nobbys Creek property.
Mrs Church said she had a previous encounter with Augusta, when it ate a bat and became so fat that she had to help it slide out of a chicken wire fence.
A nature lover, Mrs Church said she would be pleased to have the snake around again.
"I'm glad we found him when we did," she told AAP.
"My husband, who doesn't mind handling snakes, picked him up, and he could feel the golf balls inside.
"It was a funny thing at the time."
Reptile carer Sue Johnston, who housed Augusta after the operation, said it was a happy ending.
"It's really good to see him go back to his own home again and hopefully he will be eating meals other than things like golf balls," she said.
Currumbin Wildlife Sanctuary raised $1401 for a new animal hospital through an online auction of the golf balls.
http://www.news.com.au/story/0,23599,23232198-29277,00.html
A SNAKE that had four golf balls removed from its gut in a world-first operation will be released back into "the rough" today.
Greg and Margaret Church discovered the 80cm-long carpet python on their northern New South Wales property in December.
The couple had put golf balls in their hen house to coax a broody hen to lay, and blamed their grandchildren when the balls went missing.
But then they found the very lumpy snake nearby, they put two and two together.
The snake, nicknamed Augusta, had surgery at Currumbin Wildlife Sanctuary on the Gold Coast.
After eight weeks' recuperation, it will be returned to the wild via the Church family's Nobbys Creek property.
Mrs Church said she had a previous encounter with Augusta, when it ate a bat and became so fat that she had to help it slide out of a chicken wire fence.
A nature lover, Mrs Church said she would be pleased to have the snake around again.
"I'm glad we found him when we did," she told AAP.
"My husband, who doesn't mind handling snakes, picked him up, and he could feel the golf balls inside.
"It was a funny thing at the time."
Reptile carer Sue Johnston, who housed Augusta after the operation, said it was a happy ending.
"It's really good to see him go back to his own home again and hopefully he will be eating meals other than things like golf balls," she said.
Currumbin Wildlife Sanctuary raised $1401 for a new animal hospital through an online auction of the golf balls.
http://www.news.com.au/story/0,23599,23232198-29277,00.html
