Woman vacuuming office opens cabinet drawer and finds dangerous snake in Australia

A woman cleaning her office in eastern Australia yanked open a drawer and found one of the world’s most venomous snakes looking back at her.

It was an eastern brown snake — about 5 feet long — “capable of a fatal bite if handled or harassed,” according to Brisbane North Snake Catchers and Relocation in Australia.

Eastern brown snakes are considered “the-second most venomous species” of snake on the planet, The Reptile Database says. The inland taipan is No. 1.

A series of photos of the predicament were shared March 1 on Facebook, including one showing the snake coiled comfortably in a drawer when discovered.

“Customer was doing some vacuuming ... when she opened up a draw only to come face to face with a 5ft Eastern Brown,” the snake removal service wrote.

“She slowly moved away, didn’t attempt to shut the draw and left the office and shut the door behind her and called. When I arrived the snake have moved out of the draw. ... He certainly wasn’t happy and a little handful in a small room.”

Multiple photos show the snake poised to strike during attempts to catch it. Details of how long it took to contain the snake were not released.

It likely got into the office while searching for tasty rodents, which have been driven indoors by storms in the region, the post said.

The rodents were recently removed, but the snake somehow managed to avoid detection.

Getting into the cupboard wasn’t tough, the service wrote, because it “didn’t have a bottom on it” and the drawers didn’t close all the way.

The snake’s ability to remain undetected in a piece of furniture has given people chills on social media, including many noting the snake “looked understandably cranky.”

“Very lucky that it didn’t just strike ... as she opened the drawer,” Chris Laurie wrote.

“I would have had a heart attack. The lady did bloody well to keep her cool and retreat slowly,” Kerry Collins said.

“I am an avid reptile keeper and have handled tons of animals of all species. But this... I’d (soil)t myself if I opened a draw and saw a big brown in it. Not something you’d expect,” Capri Young posted.

The snake was taken to an undisclosed location and released unharmed back into the wild.

Eastern brown snakes grow to an average of 5 feet, with the record being just over 6 feet, 7 inches, the Australian Museum reports. The species is known to “thrive in areas of human disturbance.”

“Being an alert, nervous species they often react defensively if surprised or cornered, putting on a fierce display and striking with little hesitation,” the museum reports. “This species has the unfortunate distinction of causing more deaths from snake bite than any other species of snake in Australia.”

This story was originally published March 4, 2022 at 6:48 AM with the headline "Woman vacuuming office opens cabinet drawer and finds dangerous snake in Australia."