N.Zealand flood rescuers get Aussie snake catcher
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Australian officials have had to hire a snake catcher to keep slithering intruders away from New Zealand flood rescuers spooked by their neighbours' deadly wildlife, according to a local mayor.
And Australian emergency workers are taking special delight in teasing their Kiwi colleagues who are helping in the mammoth effort to rescue victims of floods plaguing eastern Queensland state, said Western Downs Mayor Ray Brown.
"We've had to hire a local snake catcher to go around with them and keep the snakes away from them, because the Kiwis don't like them very much," he told the AAP news agency.
"There are no snakes in New Zealand, so these poor blokes are pretty spooked by it all and the Aussies are taking every opportunity to tell them as many scary snake stories as they can," he said, chuckling at the antipodean rivalry.
Efforts to help flood victims are being complicated by deadly brown snakes and other reptiles trying to take shelter near humans in dry areas.
Overflowing rivers have sent thousands of snakes scurrying into flooded towns and homes and onto boats to take refuge from the water.
The scaly intruders are posing a real threat to rescue and clean-up crews working in the flood zone, which is the size of France and Germany combined.
A medical crew manning a flood relief boat in the town of Dalby, west of flooded Brisbane, reported snakes swimming up to their vessel and trying to climb aboard, Brown said.
"And there have been lots of stories about snakes getting caught up in trees and as boats go by they're just plopping out of the trees; I mean it's not raining snakes but it's not the most pleasant of places to be.
"Their country's been flooded too and they're just trying to survive, but anything that wriggles mate, you stay well away from, and I have a lot of respect for snakes," the mayor explained.
Paramedics are on hand to help any victims.
"They're not here just in case of snakebites but they're ready to deal with them if necessary," he said.