Logan City snake catcher Glenn “Ozzie” Lawrence has reported a rise in snake sightings over the past week, after catching his heaviest snake yet.
Ozzie said he’s been run off his feet since the recent wet weather in Logan City.
“There was a relocation on January third down at Logan Village,” he said.
“Unfortunately some people nearby wouldn’t have been too happy if it had travelled into their property.
“It would have been pushing the three metre mark and would have easily weighed ten kilos.”
The snake catcher extraordinaire said he’s caught longer snakes in the past, but this particular python was definitely the heaviest he’s ever been tasked with rescuing or relocating.
Ozzie also touched on the recent surge in snake sightings at Logan City.
“Because we’ve got the on and off again wet weather it brings out things like frogs so what I’m seeing a lot more of is red belly black snakes and common tree snakes because they love to eat frogs,” he said.
“More pythons are definitely out and about too with everything getting stirred up.
“But then if you get a stinking hot day you’re getting more eastern browns and yellow face lip snakes.”
Logan City Snake. (Photo used with permission).
When he’s not relocating snakes you can find Ozzie volunteering as a wildlife ambulance.
“I volunteer some of my time to rescuing injured reptiles such as snakes, turtles, and lizards,” he said.
“Usually ones that have come into contact and been injured by cats and dogs or sometimes hit by cars.
“When there’s a lot of rain around I get calls about turtles crossing roads and getting hit by cars.”
Ozzie said he’s been passionate about Australian wildlife since he was only four years old.
He said his main message for Logan City residents was the importance of ‘coexistence’.
“Snakes do not chase you, they do not attack you,” he said.
“If you leave them alone they generally will leave you alone.
“But sometimes a snake will require someone like me who is licensed and experienced to come out there and relocate it to a safer environment away from the family and pets.
“The general rule of thumb is that if you don’t know what it is to stay very still and after a minute or two it will lose interest and it’ll crawl off and leave you alone.
“Please don’t try to kill them (the snakes) because we lose a couple of people per year tragically from trying to pick up an easter brown or trying to shovel it…plus that’s illegal as well.
“Coexistence is what I’d like to see a bit more of, us all living in our backyards with the cute and fluffy stuff as well as the scaly stuff.”
You can find Glenn Ozzie Lawrence on Facebook for all of your Logan City snake catching and relocating needs.
