Aged care resident's 'scary' encounter with venomous snake inside wardrobe

An aged care resident in Far North Queensland had a really eventful New Year’s Day after discovering a venomous snake in her walk-in wardrobe.

An jap brown snake was spied hiding below piles of sneakers on the unnamed village.

Jeremy De Haan, from Jeremy’s Reptile Relocations in Townsville, advised 9news.com.au the “scary” encounter was his first catch of the 12 months – and it was something, if not eventful.

The eastern brown snake slithered into the room through a door that was left open. — The jap brown snake slithered into the room by means of a door that was left open. (Jeremy’s Reptile Relocations Townsville)

He mentioned the shocked 92-year-old girl was nonetheless inside her room when he arrived.

“She got quite the fright, and so did the snake, which took to cover in her wardrobe amongst a few pairs of shoes,” he mentioned, including the snake was a juvenile however nonetheless able to a deadly chunk.

“But it had a very calm temperament and was very shy.”

The eastern brown snake was 'shy' and slithered into the wardrobe once it had been spotted. — The jap brown snake was ‘shy’ and slithered into the wardrobe as soon as it had been noticed. (Jeremy’s Reptile Relocations Townsville)

Eastern brown snakes are Australia’s second most venomous land-based reptile.

It’s estimated the venom from an untreated chunk can kill in half-an-hour.

However, De Haan mentioned individuals are typically fast to guage the venomous species.

Snake catcher Jeremy De Haan snapped this photo as the eastern brown was released back into the wild, where it belongs. — Snake catcher Jeremy De Haan mentioned the jap brown was a juvenile, about 75 centimetres lengthy. (Jeremy’s Reptile Relocations Townsville)

“They will be the first species to retreat and flee when there’s conflict, and it’s only when they’re cornered or threatened they will put on a defensive display.

“They chunk as a final resort.

“This situation with the elderly lady is a great example of that.

“This snake might have simply bitten her and probably taken her life however as a substitute it was simply as scared and took for the duvet of a wardrobe the place it felt protected in hiding.”

After De Haan captured the snake, it was safely relocated to a conservation park nearby.

The encounter comes amid Australia’s “snake season”, which typically runs from September to April.