Melbourne: An Australian domestic flight was delayed for two hours after a stowaway snake was found in the plane's cargo hold, officials said on Wednesday. The snake was discovered on Tuesday as passengers were boarding Virgin Australia Flight VA337 at Melbourne Airport, bound for Brisbane.
According to Emirates News Agency, the snake was identified by snake catcher Mark Pelley as a harmless 60-centimetre green tree snake. Initially, Pelley feared it might be venomous due to the dim lighting in the cargo hold. 'It wasn't until after I caught the snake that I realised that it wasn't venomous. Until that point, it looked very dangerous to me,' he explained.
Australia is home to many of the world's most venomous snakes, which heightened the initial concern. Due to quarantine regulations, the snake cannot be returned to the wild. As it is a protected species, the snake has been entrusted to a Melbourne veterinarian, who will find it a home with a licensed snake keeper.