A woman found a deadly 6-foot eastern brown snake in her bed on Monday, March 20, when she went to change her bed sheets in Queensland, Australia.
Zachery Richards, the snake catcher who was called to the scene, told Newsweek that while she was waiting for him to arrive, she “shut up the room” and “put a towel underneath the door.”
According to Richards, that’s exactly what she should have done.
“If you see a snake, back away slowly, leave it alone, confine it to the one room and call in a professional,” he explained.
Eastern brown snakes have “the unfortunate distinction of causing more deaths from snake bite than any other species of snake in Australia.”
“Anyone suspected of receiving a bite from an Eastern Brown Snake should call for medical attention without delay,” the Australian Museum cautioned.
Fortunately, Richards said that when he arrived at the woman’s home, he found the snake had stayed in the same exact place and was “having a snooze.”
As for what brought the snake indoors, Richards told Newsweek that “it was quite a hot day,” so the reptile “probably came inside looking for some shelter.”
After it was captured, the snake was returned to its rightful home: outdoors, and a comfortable distance away from its human neighbors.
Richards went on to share a photograph of the reptile on social media.
“Check the bed carefully tonight!” he wrote.