Vern Lovic shared his professional expertise regarding the problem in Thailand with snakes getting into people’s homes and hiding out in toilets on a segment of Coconuts TV YouTube channel. He says, referring to the Thai man who was attacked while going to the bathroom, “It’s quite a big issue when a python sneaks up a toilet and grabs a guy in the business.”
Lovic continues, “But it doesn’t happen very often, it happens a couple times a year, at the most.” But what if it happens? Here is his advice. Lovic says that if it doesn’t let go, “grab it at the neck and hold it as tight as you can,” adding, with a chuckle, “a python can hold its breath for 20 minutes.” So, in the worst case, it’ll take 20 minutes to free yourself from a python’s grip.
Essential Snake Removal Equipment
Once Lovic arrived and assessed the situation, he discovered that his friend’s snake problem was serious. Immediately, he fetched his snake removal gear and went to work. Nothing in Lovic’s toolbox was as high-tech as an infrared camera, but he did have a set of tools specialized for handling snakes. He had a snake hook, a pair of tongs, and a clear bag made of strong, reinforced plastic. The tongs enable him to grab the slithering reptile and place it in the bag.
The hook is used for snagging a snake without injuring it and is helpful with larger snakes that are too heavy or fat to be managed with tongs. But snake handling equipment is useless in the wrong hands. Lovic has the experience and know-how to remediate any snake issue. Looking around his friend’s house, it was becoming apparent that he had more than a serious problem on his hands, it was deadly serious. Lovic was about to find out the extent.
Where Do Snakes Hide?
Snakes squiggle and squirm into any tight spot they can find. They will hide out in vents, dark corners, and inside your drawers and shoes. Lovic knows where to look for snakes. He headed straight to the bathroom. This was a typical hiding spot for them.
It must be a terrifying sight for most people when they walk in there to do their business or take a shower — this is when we are most vulnerable! Snakes are able to hide out in the plumbing and weasel their way out through the most uncomfortable of exits. You do not want to encounter snakes anywhere in your house, but least of all here...
The Number One Favorite Place Thai Snakes Hide...
The toilet. Snakes are a huge problem in Thailand. In Bangkok, firemen respond to more snake rescues than fires. Quite a bit more! During the rainy season, firefighters receive up to 200 calls per day. Fires account for about five calls per day. The biggest problem is pythons. Seventy percent of all snake calls are for pythons. Yes, those, the 15-foot-long beasts that can kill a human with efficiency.
Lovic lifted the lid and looked in the toilet. Getting bit while using the toilet is a real fear in Thailand. One man nearly lost a very important body part due to sitting on a python-infested toilet. That’s when Lovic spotted it. The squiggly critter was not in the toilet, but it was squirming off the wall in the corner of the bathroom. But it was not a python and it was not good news.
One of These Snakes Meant Many More
Finding a baby cobra is a bad sign. A very bad sign. Cobras lay 60 or more eggs at a time. Discovering a single hatchling portended a much larger infestation than Lovic anticipated. And still, the mother snake is on the loose. It keeps getting worse.
These cobras are monocled cobras — the most venomous snake in Thailand. It’s also the most common snake in Thailand. Just one bite by a monocled cobra and death is quick yet painful. Lovic snagged one snake, secured it in the bag, and went off hunting for the rest. Time was of the essence; he needed to find the rest of the eggs, and it was vital to draw the mother out.