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.