When it comes to camp cooking time, there are a few wildlife invaders that grey nomads have to be on the alert for. Kookaburras, possums and goannas are normally prime suspects when any unattended food goes missing.
But, when campers fire up the barbie, can we really add eastern brown snakes to the list of likely snag-snatching opportunists?
Well, snake catcher Geoff Delooze was a bit skeptical when he first heard that the deadly reptile had crashed a barbecue and stolen a sausage … then he saw the photo!
“This brown snake apparently came bolting out, took the sausage in front of a group of people, and disappeared back into the bush,” said Mr Delooze, from Native and Feral Pest Management. “It was like it had done it before.”
The photo apparently comes from a ‘friend of a friend’, and has been doing the rounds..
The Newcastle Herald reports that the barbecue where the picture was apparently taken is located at the foot of the Blue Mountains, where campers might expect the odd brush with a snake.
However, an expert from the Office of Environment remains doubtful about the authenticity of the shot. He told the Herald that the poor old snake might have already been dead and set up.
Looks like they were sausages that hd been cocked and allowed to go cold. Bit wrong to leave food scraps of any sort lying around. Just asking for wild animals to call it food and then they cop the blame if something goes wrong.
The shape of the neck and firmness of the body looks real enough for me! One eye over the shoulder in future for me when cooking on the barbie!