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MOONEE VALLEY COMMUNITY NEWS (Airport West, Australia) 16 January 07 Reptile dispatched (Goya Bennett)
Two teenage boys acted quicker than a snake after the deadly brown predator threatened their dog in Avondale Heights last week.
The boys' mother, Beatrice Dierickx, heard a noise while hanging out washing last Tuesday afternoon in the backyard of their Clifton Avenue home.
''I went outside to hang up the clothes and the dog was about two metres away from me barking his head off.
''As I approached it, something hit the compost bin.''
Failing to see the source of the noise, Ms Dierickx tied up Licka, their four-year-old Jack Russell terrier.
An hour later, she untied Licka and he started barking again. This time, Ms Dierickx saw a brown snake raised to strike.
''I was screaming my head off. I've never seen a snake before in my backyard.''
Her son, Michael, 17, picked up a hoe and struck the snake, while James, 15, hit the 137-centimetre reptile with a shovel.
''I'm still quite shocked by how brave they were. It was lightning-fast. I was surprised they acted so quickly without any fear.''
While proud of her boys, Ms Dierickx remained bewildered at the sudden appearance of snakes in the area.
''The river runs along the back of us. A lot of people say it could be snakes looking for water or it could be the bushfires driving the snakes out.
''I've lived here all my life and I've never seen snakes before,'' she said. ''A couple of doors down they had a snake in the backyard and one crossed Canning Street on Monday - I hope it's the same one. Why are there suddenly snakes in Avondale?''
The Department of Sustainability and Environment advises people to keep their properties clear of rubbish and long grass to discourage tiger snakes, eastern brown snakes and lowland copperheads. Snakes are protected under the Wildlife Act and it is illegal to kill them.
However, residents can arrange for a licensed snake catcher to remove them.
Snakes are most commonly seen near suburban creeks and grassy reserves. They are generally very shy and prefer to keep away from where people live.
If snakes are found in backyards it is usually because they are passing through to other habitat. Most snake bites occur when people try to catch or kill snakes. DSE offers a range of information on snakes, including contact details for licensed snake catchers.
Reptile dispatched

Good thing, that is, that neither young man suffered the same fate as the one a few days ago! Remind me again, what were the ingredients that prime a person for a snake bite? Oh, that's right. A young male, generally Caucasian, trying to catch or kill it. Add a little alcohol to the mix and it's usually even better.

Well, here's hoping Australia's snake populations don't take too much damage from this latest backlash.
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Chance Duncan
www.rivervalleyexotics.com

Handling the dead snake is not the wisest thing to do either.

“Michael, 17, picked up a hoe and struck the snake, while James, 15, hit the 137-centimetre reptile with a shovel.”

“Snakes are protected under the Wildlife Act and it is illegal to kill them. However, residents can arrange for a licensed snake catcher to remove them.”

Were the kids prosecuted? Their action apparently violated the law and needlessly endangered themselves. At the very least, they should be fined and forced to go through some sort of reptile awareness training.