'101 Dalmatians? How about 102 redbellies!,' Australian team finds venomous snakes in backyard

In a remarkable discovery, an Australian reptile-catching team has surpassed the famous children's tale The Hundred and One Dalmatians, after finding a nest of 102 venomous snakes in a suburban backyard in Sydney.

Cory Kerewaro and his team were called to handle a pair of red-bellied black snakes spotted in a pile of gardening mulch. Initially, they expected to catch “four or five” snakes, said Kerewaro on Friday. However, the team was in for a much larger surprise when they found a “whole bunch” of baby snakes hidden in the mulch.

Also Read

Keeping tradition alive: Vietnam’s 12-hour 'banh chung' cake for Tet

From rebel to teacher: Story of former separatist fighter promoting peace in Cameroon

Afghanistan's Rubab: A melodic tradition silenced under Taliban's cultural crackdown | PHOTOS

Handmade, hand-dyed, timeless: The allure of Japanese Denim | PHOTOS

‘Miracles’ and controversies: Key moments in Notre Dame's 5-year reconstruction

Unexpected surprise: 102 snakes in total

What began as a routine snake rescue soon turned into a wild and unexpected event. The team managed to bag around 40 snakes before realising more kept appearing. “Two of the females had given birth in the bag,” Kerewaro explained. They meticulously counted each snake as they pulled them out, eventually tallying a total of 102 red-bellied black snakes.

Kerewaro jokingly shared, "101 Dalmatians? How about 102 redbellies!" alongside a picture of the snakes tangled in a knot.

Red-bellied black snakes: Venomous but shy

While red-bellied black snakes are less venomous compared to some of Australia’s other species, their bites can still be toxic enough to cause severe pain, nausea, and vomiting. According to the Australian Museum, these snakes are typically shy and will only bite under severe threat or provocation.

For most people, encountering even a single red-bellied black snake would be considered highly unlucky. But for Kerewaro and his team, this was a once-in-a-lifetime find. He explained, “No one has been there at the right time and won the snake lottery. It was just the right time, right place for us.”

Agency