A snake-catcher in Australia rescued a carpet python riddled with more than 500 paralysis ticks from a family’s backyard pool after the reptile slithered into the water in an attempt to drown the arachnids.
Tony Harrison from Gold Coast and Brisbane Snake Catcher responded to a call in Queensland to remove a snake from a backyard pool on Wednesday. The professional snake-catcher was live streaming on Facebook when he arrived at his client’s home, only to be horrified by what he had found.
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“Jesus Christ, look at the ticks on him,” Harrison said. “What happens is in Mother Nature animals can live in harmony with parasites both internal and external. If something happens to them the parasites get the better of them.
“He’s got hundreds of paralysis ticks on him…and that’s why he’s in the water. He’s trying to drown them,” the snake handler said.
The video shows the snake’s head covered with arachnids.
“Oh my God, that is horrible,” Harrison’s wife said in the video.
“I’ve never seen anything like this. I’ve done this for 26 years and this is the worst I’ve ever seen,” the snake catcher added.
Harrison bagged the snake, who he named Nike, and took the reptile to a wildlife hospital for treatment.
On Friday, Harrison provided an update on the health of Nike, saying vets “worked for hours to remove the visible ticks.”
“There are still tiny young ones under the scales that will be treated with drugs to kill them,” Harrison said. “But this poor carpet python was living with a whopping 511 ticks.”
Harrison said the snake is expected to recover but will be a “long-term patient” at the wildlife hospital.
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