Snake catcher Mark Pelley admits snake probably got on plane in Melbourne via passenger's luggage
But on Tuesday, Pelley was called to a plane at Melbourne Airport after a green tree snake was found hitching a lift on Virgin Australia Flight VA337 departing for Brisbane.
The harmless 60cm reptile was found in the cargo hold, leaving passengers panicked at the discovery.
Appearing on Sunrise on Thursday, Pelley explained how a snake came to be on the plane.
'I have only one conclusion. It snuck in someone's luggage', Pelley told Nat Barr on the show
'Someone has inadvertently packed a snake in their luggage and somehow it escaped during transport.
'Then, when the staff went to pack the new luggage into the plane, there was a snake.'
Pelley was quizzed by Barr if this happens often. However, he admitted never on a plane.
'(I have caught snakes) in very weird circumstances, but never one on a plane. (This is) the first time a snake is on the plane,' Pelley said.
'(But) snakes are everywhere.
'In Australia I find them in schools, factories offices, businesses, airports. You name it. It's one of the things of being in our wonderful country.'
Pelley spoke about the condition of the reptile.
'The snake was very scared,' he said.
'It wasn't angry, it wasn't trying to hurt me. Snakes never try to hurt people. They're always trying to get away.'
Pelley said he was lucky to get the snake on his first try.
He added if the snake was unable to be caught, then the plane would have been evacuated.
'This snake was in a position where it was almost behind the panels,' Pelley said.
'Had I not caught it on the first go, it would have crawled behind the panels of the plane, and we would have had to evacuate the plane, and I would have been with the engineering team pulling apart the plane.
'Thank God I got it the first time.'
Pelley said snakes are more widespread than people realise, especially in summer.
'In the peak of summer, I can catch easily 10 to 15 snakes a day that go into people's homes,' he said.
'I find them under beds or in cots or under the fridge.
'So, it happens a lot.
'Most people just live their lives, blissfully ignorant if there are snakes around them.'
Flight VA337 to Brisbane was able to continue as normal following its delay once the snake was removed safely.
'I guess the most important thing to know snakes are usually the ones looking out for you,' Pelley said.
'If you come across a snake leave it alone and do what Virgin Airlines did which is stay away from the snake watch it in a safe distance and call the closest snake catcher.'
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