Snake in Grand Central wall
Slithering visitor at shopping centre
WHILE entering a shopping centre can sometimes feel like visiting a zoo, you don’t expect to see deadly animals in one.
But visitors to Toowoomba’s Grand Central Shopping Centre this week came face-to-face with an unexpected visitor, a red belly black snake.
Toowoomba Snake Catchers 24/7 owner David Wiedman shared a video of the snake’s capture to social media on Monday.
“This elusive red belly black snake was living in the wall at Grand Central Shopping Centre,” Mr Wiedman said.
“With the public’s safety in mind, the staff at Grand Central did an amazing job keeping a keen eye on it until I arrived.”
The video shows the snake hiding in a wall near the elevator on the ground floor of the complex.
A metal slab had to be removed from the wall to reach the snake.
Mr Wiedman can be seen using a number of tools to extract the slithering creature, before placing it in a bag and taking it away.
A Grand Central spokesperson said Mr Wiedman was called after a snake was sighted at the centre.
“The snake was safely removed and relocated on Sunday,” the spokesperson said.
The Red Belly Black Snake is one of Australia’s most poisonous snakes, though its venom is nowhere near as dangerous as that of a brown snake.
According to the Queensland Museum, the snake is usually found in well watered areas such as river and creek banks. Gowrie Creek runs right under Grand Central.