A shopper has had a super close encounter with a sneaky snake whilst browsing the spice aisle during a grocery run.
Helaina Alati shared the confronting video to her Instagram and even caught the snake herself and released it back into the wild.
Alati wrote on her video:
“Was browsing the spice aisle in woolies today and got a little surprise 🐍”
@krockgeelong 🐍 Shopper surprised by a snake slithering from the spice aisle! She even caught it and released it herself 👏 Source: Supplied by Helaina Alati
♬ original sound - K rock 95.5
The video shows the snake which appears to be a diamond python coming directly out of the shelf of spices at a Woolworths store in Glenorie, NSW.
Alati told Grant Broadcasters:
"I was browsing through the spice aisle. Didn’t see it at first. I turned to my right and it had poked its head out and its face was about 20cm away from mine."
Thankfully, Alati isn't unfamiliar with the reptile world, graduating in 2017 with a Bachelor of Animal and Veterinary Bioscience at the University of Sydney. At 18 years old, she was a wildlife volunteer and did a venomous snakes course and rescued plenty of snakes and other wildlife. She also runs her own small tutoring company Summit Learning.
A bit shocked at the encounter, she says she was shopping alone but thankfully, she loves snakes. She said:
"I was a little bit shocked and was alone in the aisle. Thankfully I love snakes and have a bit of experience with them. I could tell instantly it was a non-venomous diamond python and it was super non-aggressive and relaxed.”
A staff member was alerted with Alati saying:
"And then went to tell a staff member they had a 10ft python in their spice rack.”
As an experienced snake catcher, she went back home to grab her snake bag, caught the snake, and relocated it to the bush. In a follow-up video, the snake is seen being released back into the wild. Alati captions the video with:
"So I brushed off the old snake catching bag and found old mate a more suitable home.”
It’s unclear how the snake got there or how long it was there before being found but Alati suspects it came down from the ceiling during the night. She tells us:
"I think it came down from the ceiling that night and just found a dark quiet place in the aisle."
Diamond pythons can be found in the coastal areas of New South Wales and are non-venomous however can inflict painful bites. Fully grown they can reach up to 2 or 3 metres in length. If one is ever encountered, please contact your nearest professional snake catcher to relocate the animal safely.
Image Credit: (Supplied by Helaina Alati)