An 11-year-old girl in Australia is lucky to be alive after unknowingly playing with one of the deadliest snakes on Earth.
A clip of her potentially fatal play date is going viral as snake experts warn the public about the perils of handling the reptile.
Australia has cemented its reputation as home to some of the world’s deadliest animals, even more than for its gorgeous opera house, sandy beaches and stunning coral reefs. And, if you believe the rumours, maybe even all of the world’s deadliest animals.
In reality, it is not the most dangerous country in the world in terms of venomous species; this title goes to Mexico, which boasts 80 venomous species, followed by Brazil with 79 species.
Australia, however, can still brag about having the most dangerous creatures in the world as many of its venomous creatures contain far more venom than those in Mexico or Brazil.
Its inland taipan snakes, box jellyfish, Sydney funnel-web spiders and stonefish all rank among the most venomous of their kind.
Aussie snake removal expert Stewart Gatt said on Facebook that “the girl in the video is extremely lucky that she wasn’t bitten by the snake”. Gatt was sent the video by the girl’s grandparent, who didn’t know what the snake was and wanted the reptile enthusiast to identify it.
Local media reported that the child was on a walk in Newport, Melbourne, when she encountered an eastern brown snake, a highly venomous species that is responsible for the most snakebite fatalities in Australia.
Unfortunately, the kid mistook the critter for a garter snake, a harmless species found in North America, and decided to pick it up. Rule of thumb: do not pick up or handle any wild animals in Australia, or any country for that matter.
In the accompanying footage, she can be seen with the venomous reptile entwined around her fingers like a pet snake.
“Here’s the garter snake,” she exclaims as the dangerous serpent slithers lazily about her fingers.
The critter didn’t bite her during the foolhardy encounter, which is extremely fortunate as eastern browns are highly “nervous” and pack enough venom to kill 58 people.
“Please, please, please remind your children and grandchildren that you shouldn’t interfere and interact with any wildlife unless you are trained to do so,” Gatt implored.
“We need to teach our kids right from wrong, and handling any wildlife is dangerous and should be left to the professionals.”
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