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By Pandora Dewan
Senior Science Reporter
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A woman in Hervey Bay, eastern Australia, was interrupted during dinner on Tuesday evening by the sound of a 7-foot python suffocating a cat-sized possum on her back veranda.
Snake catcher Drew Godfrey, of the Hervey Bay Snake Catchers, was called to the scene to help remove the enormous snake. But that was not the end of the story.
Up in the rafters was a baby possum, about 4 months old, trembling after losing its mother. "It's still got to be on milk for another few months, so this possum needs a mum," Godfrey said in footage of the incident, which he shared to YouTube and can be seen below.
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"I could easily approach the baby possum as it was used to people and a little in shock too," Godfrey told Newsweek. "I put a towel over it and simply picked it up." To survive, the baby possum will need to be raised by hand. It was taken to the East Coast Exotic Haven.
Coastal carpet pythons are a subspecies of carpet python found mostly along the east coast of Australia. According to the Queensland Department of Environment and Science, the species can grow to over 13 feet long, although they rarely exceed 8 feet.
Carpet pythons are non-venomous and kill their prey by constriction. "Carpet pythons are incredibly strong," Godfrey said. "They ambush their prey and bite them before coiling around the animal's body and suffocating it."
Although they are usually harmless to humans, their bites can still be very painful. Godfrey said that they tend not to bite unless they are harassed. "If treated kindly they are very friendly and curious animals towards people," he said.
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The snake in questions was, of course, just doing what snakes do: trying to eat. "The homeowner was saddened for the possum as she used to feed it fruit and it had been there for years, but she also understood the snake needs to eat too and she very much appreciated the beauty in the snake and its ability to eat such a large prey item," Godfrey said.
Warning—The video embedded below contains images that some readers may may find upsetting.
In response to a post on Facebook by the Hervey Bay Snake Catchers, the East Coast Exotic Haven said that the baby possum was "understandably traumatized but healthy."
Other users also thanked Godfrey for rescuing the baby possum.
"I love how it's not all about just the snakes for you, but also any other wildlife that may become harmed or hurt in the process," said one user. "I hope little baby manages to thrive and grow without mum and well done for the caring job you have done."
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