Think your home is safe? This unexpected visitor will make you think twice
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New housing developments promise modern living and fresh beginnings, but they can also come with unexpected surprises.
As construction reshapes the landscape, remnants of the past don’t always disappear—sometimes, they find their way inside.
One Sydney resident recently had an unsettling encounter in his new home, highlighting a hidden risk that many might not consider.
A suburban homeowner in Sydney’s northwest received an unexpected shock after stepping into his kitchen—one of Australia’s most dangerous snakes had made itself at home.
Hunter, a 24-year-old resident of Box Hill, recalled the moment he spotted the eastern brown snake slithering across his white tiled floor.
‘He caught me by surprise, I took half a step into the kitchen and then saw him cross the floor,’ he shared.
The area, once farmland, had been transformed into a residential estate, with many homes only a few months old.
While native wildlife like koalas are relocated during development, reptiles often remain, left to navigate a drastically altered environment.
Chris Williams, founder of Urban Reptile Removal, was called in to remove the snake after it took refuge under a drinks cabinet.
The smooth tiles made it difficult for the 80cm-long juvenile to move, leaving it trapped and reluctant to venture further.
‘It couldn’t really get a grip, so it was reluctant to move around. It felt safest tucked up against the drinks cabinet rather than trying to leave the home,’ Williams explained.
When the cabinet was shifted, the snake reacted defensively, thrashing about before eventually settling down long enough for Williams to capture it.
Hunter believed the snake had entered through his open garage door in an attempt to escape the summer heat.
‘I’ve had them in the backyard before, but one getting in the house is new,’ he said.
Many snake removal callouts in Sydney’s western suburbs came from residents unfamiliar with the risks, Williams noted.
‘In summer, in these new estates, residents need to know snakes are going to be on the move, and to take precautions,’ he said.
He warned that leaving doors open in hot weather could invite reptiles inside and that outdoor shoe racks—common in many cultures—were ideal hiding spots for snakes.
Eastern brown snakes, second only to the inland taipan in venom potency, were often misunderstood as aggressive but primarily acted defensively when threatened.
Native reptiles were protected under Australian law, making it illegal to harm them, and experts advised contacting a licensed handler if one was found inside a home.
In a previous story, another unexpected wildlife encounter left experts stunned when a surprising visitor appeared inside a busy café.
One expert noted it ‘looked like it had just eaten a pretty big meal,’ adding to the unusual sighting.
Read more about this bizarre discovery and what it means for urban wildlife.
With more housing developments expanding into former wildlife habitats, how can residents better prepare for unexpected encounters like this?
Let us know your thoughts in the comments.
As construction reshapes the landscape, remnants of the past don’t always disappear—sometimes, they find their way inside.
One Sydney resident recently had an unsettling encounter in his new home, highlighting a hidden risk that many might not consider.
A suburban homeowner in Sydney’s northwest received an unexpected shock after stepping into his kitchen—one of Australia’s most dangerous snakes had made itself at home.
Hunter, a 24-year-old resident of Box Hill, recalled the moment he spotted the eastern brown snake slithering across his white tiled floor.
‘He caught me by surprise, I took half a step into the kitchen and then saw him cross the floor,’ he shared.
The area, once farmland, had been transformed into a residential estate, with many homes only a few months old.
While native wildlife like koalas are relocated during development, reptiles often remain, left to navigate a drastically altered environment.
Chris Williams, founder of Urban Reptile Removal, was called in to remove the snake after it took refuge under a drinks cabinet.
The smooth tiles made it difficult for the 80cm-long juvenile to move, leaving it trapped and reluctant to venture further.
‘It couldn’t really get a grip, so it was reluctant to move around. It felt safest tucked up against the drinks cabinet rather than trying to leave the home,’ Williams explained.
When the cabinet was shifted, the snake reacted defensively, thrashing about before eventually settling down long enough for Williams to capture it.
Hunter believed the snake had entered through his open garage door in an attempt to escape the summer heat.
‘I’ve had them in the backyard before, but one getting in the house is new,’ he said.
Many snake removal callouts in Sydney’s western suburbs came from residents unfamiliar with the risks, Williams noted.
‘In summer, in these new estates, residents need to know snakes are going to be on the move, and to take precautions,’ he said.
He warned that leaving doors open in hot weather could invite reptiles inside and that outdoor shoe racks—common in many cultures—were ideal hiding spots for snakes.
Eastern brown snakes, second only to the inland taipan in venom potency, were often misunderstood as aggressive but primarily acted defensively when threatened.
Native reptiles were protected under Australian law, making it illegal to harm them, and experts advised contacting a licensed handler if one was found inside a home.
In a previous story, another unexpected wildlife encounter left experts stunned when a surprising visitor appeared inside a busy café.
One expert noted it ‘looked like it had just eaten a pretty big meal,’ adding to the unusual sighting.
Read more about this bizarre discovery and what it means for urban wildlife.
With more housing developments expanding into former wildlife habitats, how can residents better prepare for unexpected encounters like this?
Let us know your thoughts in the comments.
