WHEN a Cleveland man found a snake in his backpack, he was not having it. He zipped it up and promptly dropped it off at the Cleveland Veterinary Clinic.
Experienced snake handler, Tony Morrison was called in and was amused to find the snake (and backpack) under lock and key.
"The snake was in the backpack, inside a bird cage and placed inside a dog kennel with a sign reading Do not open, one metre snake inside," said Tony.
He chuckled when he said: "In my experience vets aren't fans of snakes, they don't like dealing with them".
Most people phoned Tony to remove snakes, but in this slithery situation, the snake was left snugly in the bag and transported to the nearest vet.
Tony said the man had no idea how the snake got into the backpack which was in the house.
"It's a nightmare story. But I have found snakes in all weird and unique locations," he said.
The unexpected visitor was removed from the backpack and set free in the area.
"There are snakes in the Redlands all year round, we have a healthy population whether it's raining or not. I think during the recent floods, the snakes went high and had a sleep," Tony said.
The snake catcher urged people to contact him if they need help removing a slippery reptile. Contact Tony on 041 7609462 and follow Redland's Snake Catcher on Facebook.