Possums kept vanishing in Australia community. Six-foot culprit was found on a balcony
When local ringtail possums began vanishing from a community in Australia, residents suspected something was up.
“We used to have ringies in the roof, but something’s been flushing them out,” a homeowner in Bundeena told New South Wales Fire and Rescue department in a video from a Feb. 15 news release.
Ringtail possums are about the size of cats and are commonly found living near people, frequenting gardens at night, according to The Australia Museum.
The homeowners finally spotted the culprit — a diamond python — on their balcony, firefighters said. They called rescue crews to come remove the snake.
When firefighters arrived, they found the 6.5-foot-long snake slithering in the garden, the release said. Photos show the large snake wrapped around the arm of one of the firefighters.
Diamond pythons are not venomous but kill their prey by wrapping around and squeezing their bodies, according to The Australia Museum. The snake species can reach about 10 feet long.
Firefighters captured the snake, placed it in a specially designed bag and relocated it to a nearby national park. Video shared on Facebook by 9 News shows the python being released and disappearing into the underbrush.
Bundeena is about 20 miles southwest of Sydney.
