It was an ordinary day at the Bunnings Warehouse in Kawana, Queensland, with shoppers browsing through aisles of hardware, garden supplies, and home renovation materials.

But the tranquillity was abruptly shattered when an unexpected visitor slithered into the scene, causing a stir that had shoppers and staff fleeing for safety.

The intruder? A nearly metre-long red-bellied black snake, a venomous species native to Australia, was found nestled among the pallets of plant soil.

The sight of the snake sent a wave of alarm through the store, as these creatures are known for their potentially fatal venom, although it should be noted that no deaths have been recorded from this species' bite.

A red-bellied black snake was found in Bunnings. Credit: @sunnycoastsnakecatchers / TikTok

The staff at Bunnings were quick to react, cordoning off the area and keeping a vigilant watch over the snake to prevent it from disappearing into the hiding spots within the store.

Their prompt and calm response was later commended by Sunshine Coast Snake Catcher Stuart McKenzie, who was called to the scene to safely relocate the reptile.

‘Bunnings workers did a great job to keep an eye on the snake. There's obviously a lot of stuff inside… for it to hide under, but they were able to keep it in the one area,’ he said.

The snake's natural camouflage and the cluttered environment of the store made the search a 40-minute game of hide and seek.

It was only after an intense and meticulous search, which involved getting down on hands and knees, that McKenzie captured the elusive creature.

This wasn't McKenzie's first snake rescue at a Bunnings store, but such occurrences are rare, he admitted.

‘There's often a bit of bush, and Bunnings usually have an open fence in the back, so they'll come into the timber yard or wherever, but it's not that common,’ McKenzie said.

Once the snake was safely in McKenzie's grasp, he transported it to a more appropriate bushland area, away from human habitation.

In a light-hearted moment captured on video, McKenzie gave the snake a playful reprimand as it was released back into the wild: 'You naughty snake, not allowed in Bunnings anymore.'

You can watch McKenzie’s video below:

Credit: @sunnycoastsnakecatchers / TikTok ​

While it’s common for snakes to be found hiding somewhere in stores such as Bunnings, what if they’re hiding inside your home?

This is the case in one household, where a red-bellied black snake was found hiding inside a common item. You can read more about the story here.

Key Takeaways

• A red-bellied black snake was found among pallets of plant soil at a Bunnings store on Queensland's Sunshine Coast.
• Customers and staff were forced to flee or were diverted from where the snake was located.
• The snake, which is venomous, was eventually caught by a professional snake catcher after an effortful 40-minute search.
• The snake catcher has had to rescue snakes from Bunnings before but says such incidents are uncommon.

Have you ever encountered a snake lurking at your local store or home? Share your stories with us in the comments below!

 

[Gsr]

My local Bunnings has had quite a few snake episodes since it opened. On one occasion a customer actually ran over a black snake that was inside the store near the cafe, he thought it was a piece of hose. The snake wasn’t happy, but it did exit back to the nursery area where a snake catcher captured it. The snakes are usually in the nursery area, on a couple of occasions we have found them on the shelves amongst the plants. Luckily to date no one has been bitten. It doesn’t happen as much now there are more buildings around the store as when it was empty land around us.