Who would have thought that a hug at midnight would lead to a wildlife encounter? In the case of the woman named Rachel Bloor, she woke up feeling the weight of something heavy on top of her chest and stomach, assuming that one of the family dogs had gotten into bed. Semi-conscious, she reached under the blankets to push the “dog” away, feeling that she was touching something smooth. “To my horror, I realized it wasn’t my dog,” she told the BBC.
However, after arousing her husband and asking him to enlighten her, things became clear. “Oh baby. Don’t move. There is like a 2.5-meter python on you,” he quoted. The snake was an eight-foot carpet python. Carpet pythons are non-venomous constrictors that are quite common in Australia along its coast. The snake had managed to find its way into the second story bedroom where it had positioned itself in the area where warmth is most concentrated.
Bloor’s first concern was to prevent a domino effect. A startled pet can turn a peaceful impasse into chaos, especially in a small area. Her motive was very clear when she said, “I figured that if my Dalmatian senses that snake is in the area, there’s gonna be carnage.” After moving the dogs to safety, she “side-shuffled” out from under the bedcover and, rather than waiting for the professional snake catcher to arrive, coaxed the python out the window. “I grabbed him,” she said. “He was wobbly in my hand.” It seems the snake was not panicked either.
Among the questions that have persisted is the manner in which the snake gained access into the dwelling. Bloor had reasons to believe that the python gained access through the plantation shutters, as the snake was too big, with its tail extending beyond the bed despite being coiled on it. This is consistent with snake handlers’ reports that ‘gaps between doors, windows, and garage doors may act as entry points for snakes looking for shelter as heat ascends, leaving cooler shaded areas.’
In south-eastern Queensland, warmer and drier conditions lead to an increase in the number of reported sightings of snakes, and experts suggest the time for maximum activity spans from September to April. The number of public calls for assistance may increase as snakes move through backyards, fencing, piles of wood, and the small areas beneath houses that snakes find safe and difficult for humans to handle effectively. Snake catchers further suggest the species can rarely be identified beyond the level of expert confirmation; this has been the case in many recent incidents where people handle snakes they thought were non-venomous, as in the case of the eastern brown snake.
However, empirical evidence also goes on to indicate how frequently these encounters turn into emergencies. In the state of Queensland, the ambulance service responded to 1,131 reported cases of bites by snakes in 2024. Against this background, the most reliable piece of advice has been to keep a safe distance and not attempt to capture the snake if one does not have the training to do so. Bloor’s story exemplifies the blurred zone between suburban expansion and the survival of the wild: the bedroom, the backyard, the tightly closed house that is not necessarily secure. However, the most remarkable thing about her experience is not the size of the snake but the self-control that involves waiting long enough to make a later safe exit.
