Homeowner stunned after discovering unexpected guest sleeping in model train set: 'Back in the trees, where you belong'

In Queensland, one resident encountered an unwelcome passenger on their model train: a venomous brown tree snake. According to People, the snake was found curled up in a tunnel, and while nobody was hurt, the incident highlighted a growing risk: increasing human-wildlife interactions.

CHOO CHOO! A snake in the model train set! 🚂 🐍 This healthy and rather large Brown Tree Snake decided to have a sleep in the train set! I'm sure he was hoping to wake up in another state but instead he woke up in Stu's hands! Sorry! Call us anytime on 0408545440 . . . #australia #qld #snake #snakecatcher #wildlife #sunshinecoast

Posted by Sunshine Coast Snake Catchers 24/7 on Monday, August 11, 2025

What happened?

When the owner of the train set first saw the snake, he mistook the reptile for a toy and then realized that the snake was alive. The homeowner called professional snake wrangler Stuart McKenzie of Sunshine Coast Snake Catchers 24/7 to safely remove the reptile. 

In a video of the snake's capture on the business's Facebook page, McKenzie identified the intruder, carefully coaxed it out with a hook, lifted it, and secured it in a bag for relocation.

The snake — the Australian Reptile Park notes the animals "will strike repeatedly if they feel threatened" — was eventually released back into the wild.

Why is finding snakes in homes concerning?

Snake encounters in homes are not rare in Australia, but they are happening more frequently around the world as rising global temperatures push animals into new habitats, according to the World Health Organization. 

Researchers have found that warming weather has increased human-wildlife interactions, from polar bears wandering into driveways to alligators showing up in suburban swimming pools. 

This is at least in part because, according to a study published in Nature, the changing climate "exacerbates resource scarcity, alters human and animal behaviours and distributions, and increases human-wildlife encounters."

For people, changes in where wildlife seek shelter and food could mean more unexpected brushes with danger in everyday spaces. For animals, these displacements often lead to conflict with humans, with species being hurt or killed by people when they venture too close.

While this snake was spared, as warming continues, these encounters will put communities and ecosystems at risk.

What's being done about increased human-wildlife interaction?

Organizations such as the World Wildlife Fund advocate for better coexistence strategies, from designing animal corridors that allow safe migration to encouraging humane relocation programs. 

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At the individual level, securing food and waste as well as sealing gaps around homes can prevent wildlife from getting too close for comfort.

"Back in the trees, where you belong — away from the model train set," McKenzie said during the snake's release. Encounters such as this remind us that we share one home — this planet — with animals and that we are not the only ones impacted by the changes around us. 

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