By Hollie Harris
If there was ever a person destined for a certain career, it is our local snake catcher, Luke Huntley.
Snake Catcher Noosa owner Luke loves his job more than most people and genuinely doesn’t mind being called out to work at all hours of the day.
Being on-call 24-7 doesn’t bother this local Noosa lad, who has been flat out catching snakes from homes and yards around the coast since he became fully registered 12 months ago.
The last few weeks has seen him relocate 15-20 snakes a week, and as the weather begins to cool down he says he expects even more call-outs.
“It’s a common misconception that snakes only like warm weather. They are just like everyone else – when it gets too hot, they go to ground and when it becomes cooler, they move about more,” Luke said.
“The most call-outs happen during cooler months with sunny days,” he said.
As a young boy, Luke was fascinated by snakes from the first time he laid eyes on one.
He recalls picking up a tree snake at around seven years old, to remove it from the road and then again when he was 12, a taipan getting washed around on the beach was lucky enough to have a helping hand back up into the sand dunes.
As he grew older, so did his love for reptiles and his family of snake pets has grown to eight.
“My favourite is definitely the red-bellied black. They are the most beautiful snake of all. They have a really good nature and tend to be placid and relaxed – unless you are picking them up, then they can get a bit cranky, understandably,” Luke said.
“I get a few red-bellies and browns around Marcus Beach and Peregian, mostly near the dunes. Sunshine Beach there tends to be a lot of call-outs for pythons,” he said.
Luke covers everywhere from Maroochydore to Gympie, with his aim to be able to get to a call as quickly as possible.
“It is actually against the law to remove a snake without a licence. This is because the majority of snakebites occur from people trying to remove or kill a snake and being bitten in the process. It’s also illegal to kill a snake and there are huge fines, so it is always best to pick up the phone and have it removed professionally.
“If you find a snake inside the house, the best thing to do is shut the door of the room, put a towel under the door and call me straight away.
If there is one outside and you need it to be removed, just keep your distance and keep an eye on it and call me. I try to be able to get out within 10-15 minutes. Even if it’s in the middle of night or if you just have a question, I am here to help,” Luke said.
Luke has a Facebook page which he keeps up to date with pictures, can answer questions and is happy to receive photos or give advice as all part of the service.
If you have a scaly visitor you would rather see relocated back into one of state forests, call Snatch Catcher Noosa on 0499 920 290 day or night and Luke is genuinely excited to help.
