Deadly Snakes Close Childcare Center

Officials in Australia have closed down the Mitchell Street Childcare Center in Darwin, which was found to be infested with deadly snakes. Contractors who were sent to investigate the issue on Thursday eventually found one fully grown female and 23 smaller pythons.

Thankfully the director of the childcare center, who found the deadly snakes, closed the center and got help immediately. No injuries were reported.

Evidence at the scene suggested that the female built her nest between walls, and the smaller snakes had recently hatched. ABC News reports that contractors found the nest, which contained 41 eggshells, hidden in a wall. Nothing was found to suggest where the other 18 snakes were hiding.

Earlier this week another nest of baby snakes caused an issue in Australia. Three year old Kyle Cummings found a snake nest in his yard, which he proceeded to hide in his closet. KSL reports the reaction of the child’s Mother, Donna Sim:

“Sim took the snakes to a nearby wildlife sanctuary, where it was found they were of the second-deadliest variety on the planet: the eastern brown. Wildlife specialists said Kyle was lucky he had put the lid tightly on the container and that his mother had discovered them before they grew big enough to pop the lid off.”

The snakes found in the childcare center were actually non-venomous. Australian carpet pythons, which are quite common in Australia, are constrictors which which wrap themselves around their prey and squeeze it until it perishes and can be swallowed. Fully grown Australian carpet pythons can reach lengths of up to 13 feet, the large female found at the childcare center was only 10 feet long.

Unfortunately this is not the first time this has happened at this particular daycare. Louise DeBomford, director at the childcare center stated, “I thought there would have to be more than one because we had an inundation of snakes last year, about the same time.”