A well-known snake catcher is in hospital after being bitten by one of the world’s deadliest reptiles, while his wife has also been admitted after collapsing.
Tony Harrison, who runs Harrison’s Gold Coast and Brisbane Snake Catcher, was bitten by an eastern brown snake after being called to a home in Stockleigh, in Logan, on Sunday afternoon.
It’s understood Mr Harrison had been attempting to remove two brown snakes that were mating in the garden and was live-streaming the incident.
The snake catcher was rushed to hospital in a stable but serious condition. His wife Brooke was also hospitalised but was not bitten.
Tony Harrison, (pictured with wife Brooke) who runs Harrison’s Gold Coast and Brisbane Snake Catcher, was bitten by an Eastern Brown snake after being called to a home in Stockleigh, in Logan on Sunday afternoon
‘I suffered stomach and chest pains, exhaustion and stress which is why they administered me,’ she said in an update to their business’ Facebook page.
Ms Harrison said her husband’s blood levels were ‘showing signs of improvement’ and the venom in his system was ‘very low’.
‘He’s been advised to sit it out which he is,’ she said.
‘His kidneys have suffered damage which may require dialysis and he needs a CT scan to make sure there is no bleeding where it shouldn’t be.’
Mr Harrison had earlier said he’d endured a ‘rough 24 hours’.
‘Things turned south at 1am. Brooke has collapsed and was admitted at 5am,’ he wrote on Monday morning.
‘My bloods are turning for the better now.’
The couple had been livestreaming the snake removal when Mr Harrison was suddenly bitten.
Mr Harrison had reportedly been trying to remove two Eastern Brown snakes who were mating in a garden
Mr Harrison remains under care in hospital. His wife Brooke was also hospitalised after collapsing but was not bitten by a snake
The footage has since been deleted.
The incident marks the second time Mr Harrison has been bitten by the venomous reptile.
He suffered a dry bite while trying to move a snake under an air conditioning unit in Pimpama in late 2019.
‘I saw that the snake had darted under the aircon unit, so I went to grab its tail, but it had turned around,’ he told Sunrise in December 2019.
‘So when I stuck my hand under there, its face was right there waiting for me.
‘I’m very aware of the potential possibilities, so I was scared to say the least.’
Eastern browns are one of Australia’s most venomous snakes.
Their venom is ranked as the second most toxic of any land snake in the world behind another Australian native, the inland taipan.
Brown snakes can be found in every Australian state except Tasmania and are responsible for more deaths in the country than any other type of snake.