Venomous snakes have been turning up in passenger areas at Australia's Alice Springs Airport, including the Qantas lounge, prompting a local snake catcher to remove dozens of them.
Airport employees also found snakes in an office while workers were present.
Here's what to know
Rex Neindorf, a local snake catcher who directs the Alice Springs Reptile Centre, has made multiple visits to remove the animals, according to NT News.
Reports place the snakes in the Qantas lounge and around departure doors and check-in facilities.
Among them were two western brown snakes, the area's most prevalent venomous snake. Speaking to NT News about the snakes he removed, Neindorf described them as ranging from "mildly" to "highly venomous."
"One was in the main part of the building where all the passengers could go past, and the other was in an office where the workers were," Neindorf said.
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More background
Airport Development Group owns and operates Alice Springs Airport. A spokesperson for the group told NT News that cooler conditions normally make local snakes "very active."
It remains unclear how much the intense flash floods in Alice Springs contributed to the airport encounters, even though they appear to have compounded the situation. Wet weather often coincides with more local snake sightings.
What's being done?
Airport Development Group says staff are monitoring areas of concern and using signs to keep passengers informed. The group also calls in professionals to handle the snakes.
"We have an arrangement to call a snake catcher who assists with snake relocation," the group's spokesperson told NT News.
Neindorf has also personally taught airport employees how to stay safe around snakes. He has more than 26 years of experience catching snakes in the region.
Although he has found snakes in both passenger and employee areas, he told NT News he knew of no cases where passengers were hurt or harmed at the airport.
"They're very well versed in what they do out there," he said of the staff.
Where can I learn more?
Alice Springs Airport isn't the only place where snakes have caught people by surprise. These stories cover snakes found on Indian trains, at a resort, and in an Australian home, as well as one brought into a hospital.
• In India, a passenger spotted a dead Russell's viper beside his family's Vande Bharat train seat.
• Indian authorities investigated a dead snake found on a Vande Bharat Express seat.
• In Bihar, a snakebite victim brought a live cobra into a hospital, sending people running.
• At a Rajasthan resort, rescuers removed a 5-foot snake found curled among utensils.
• In Australia, an eastern brown snake was found behind a pet mouse cage.
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