Snake on the Barbie? Carpet Python Found Lurking in Barbecue at Sunshine Coast Home

A carpet python was saved from a potentially chargrilled fate when a snake catcher removed it from a Queensland family’s barbecue unit on August 11.

Stuart McKenzie from Sunshine Coast Snake Catchers 24/7 posted video to Facebook showing him carefully removing the snake, which had slithered right up inside the barbecue, before relocating it back into the wild.

“It doesn’t get more Aussie than having a snake hiding up in your barbecue,” McKenzie joked in the Facebook post. “Thankfully the family saw it go in there and called us straight away.”

“It took a few minutes to come out with some gentle encouragement but in the end the carpet python was safely relocated back into some natural bushland,” he wrote. Credit: Stuart McKenzie via Storyful

Video Transcript

STUART MCKENZIE: What's more Aussie than having a snake on your barbie? Well, apparently it's in the barbecue. They've seen it disappear underneath, so they're needing it out of there. Obviously the Australian family uses their outdoor barbecue quite regularly, and we don't want the snake getting hurt or injured either. So we're going to head over now and catch it and get it back in the bush where it belongs.

We'll have a good look. Back one first. Oh yeah. Yeah, wow. It's crazy where they'll get to. And sometimes, especially with like old barbecues, they'll-- because maybe some rodents have been in there, you know, feasting on the little snacks left over, that'll draw the snakes in on the rodent smell, so-- Not very cooperative.

- It's nice and warm in there.

STUART MCKENZIE: Yeah, he's got all the hiding spots.

- We don't use that barbecue, so if you need to start disassembling--

STUART MCKENZIE: I've just got to-- I've just got to be careful not to pull too hard and that sort of stuff.

- Here you go.

STUART MCKENZIE: Get up there.

- There he is.

STUART MCKENZIE: Yeah, go on me then. Come out. Out you come. Don't bite me. There you go.

- He's a big boy.

STUART MCKENZIE: So everybody stand still.

- He's still coming. Trying to [INAUDIBLE] you down.

STUART MCKENZIE: So it's important you don't pull them in this situation because it will hurt them. So you just want him to come out by himself. Not go somewhere else in the meantime. There we go. Gorgeous little carpet python. Glad you saw him and didn't turn the barbecue on. That could have ended badly.

- [INAUDIBLE] tail.

STUART MCKENZIE: Yes, so a little stubby tail. That's an old injury. So he might have been run over or potentially a pet's grabbed him or something at some point. But it's healed quite nicely. Awesome. All done.

- Will you release him somewhere?

STUART MCKENZIE: Yeah, we'll go take him to some nice bush land and let him go.