With temperatures on the rise, snakes are out and about in Sunbury and Macedon Ranges.
Snake season typically kicks off in September and many sightings have already been reported in the Macedon Ranges.
Local snake catcher Ross said his colleagues had already been receiving “many, many calls” to remove snakes from properties.
Ross has been retrieving snakes across the Macedon Ranges for 15 years.
His advice for anyone who encounters a snake is to “stay at a safe distance, keep an eye on it if possible, keep children and pets away from the snake, and call a local snake catcher”.
Ross said residents should not try to interact with a snake in any way.
“It’s actually illegal to kill a snake,” he said. The snake catcher said that while snakes might be scary, they were still wildlife.
Fines from the Department of Environment and Primary Industries (DEPI) can be issued to anyone killing the animals.
To have a snake removed from private property, contact the DEPI on 136 186, who will refer a licensed snake
catcher.
To keep pets as safe as possible from snakes, the RSPCA advises pet owners to keep grass at a low height and to avoid having piles of rubbish or wood that can become snake hiding places.
