The great war between Aussies and animals has crossed a threshold, with one beast entering a home and attacking a child’s pet.
Rosie Wightman was cleaning her guinea pig enclosure one Sunday afternoon when one of its residents, Maxibon, sprinted off into the backyard bushes. The guinea pig was eventually caught, but not by its 12-year-old owner.
“I went out, tried to grab him but he ran in a different direction,” Rosie told 7News. “That’s when the snake struck.”
By the grace of home security, we have footage of the moment. Rosie picks up the 2-metre snake that’s wrapped up her guinea pig and swings it round and round above her head until her dad comes in and frees the pet from the animal’s grip.
Everyone, including Maxibon, is safe after the incident. Talking through her mindset, Rosie says she initially just leapt into action without thinking.
“Didn’t even think it through,” she said. “I was just like ‘grab the snake, grab the snake’."
Quickly though, she had an idea.
“If I swing it around, it (the snake’s grip) won’t be as tight."
From Rosie’s parent’s perspective, the first seconds of the brawl sounded like an absolute nightmare.
“We just hear this scream,” her mum Grace said. “I’ve never heard her scream like this before - her little voice is still hoarse.”
“We come out and find Rosie swinging a python and a pig was attached to it! It was the wildest thing.”
Although their young one has proven herself on the battlefield, the parents are hesitant to let her fight again.
“We’ve had a good snake talk,” said Grace. “We’re like, ‘Never again. We’re so grateful you’re fine but next time, step away. We’ll buy you two more pigs’.”
It seems snakes, roos and crocs will never stop battling our soldiers across the Tasman, but the Aussie humans will keep fronting up for a good scrap every time.
