/ 5 August 2006

Giant snakes move into Australian home

An Australian city slicker who recently moved to the continent’s tropical far north has found he is housemates with a 6m python and its 3m mate.

James Kinniburgh discovered the amethystine pythons living in the roof of his Cairns house a fortnight ago, Australia’s AAP news agency reported on Saturday.

”I sat there shitting myself,” Kinniburgh said. ”I’m from Sydney, I’ve only been here three years, and I’ve never seen anything like this before. I wouldn’t mind if it was half the size.”

Worse news was to come. Wildlife officers told him that, with no manhole to the roof, he might as well resign himself to his massive housemates because there was no way of getting in to get them out.

With the combined weight of the pair at 150kg, Kinniburgh is worried about the pythons falling through the roof and into his living room. Another cause of concern is that what are commonly called scrub pythons can grow to more than 8m.

Wildlife officers have tried to assure him that he has nothing to fear. The non-venomous pythons are petrified of humans and are likely to keep out of his way. — Sapa-dpa