Blog & field stories · By Snakes in the City · Published 13 September 2026
A rustle near an ambulance bay was enough to prompt a careful response at Hawkesbury District Hospital in Windsor. Concerned that a venomous reptile might be nearby, hospital staff called Snakes in the City. A catcher attended, thoroughly checked the area and gave the all-clear following the inspection.
An unusual call to the emergency department
Emergency workers are used to responding when someone else needs help. On this occasion, it was the team at the emergency department asking for a different kind of assistance.
Staff had heard suspicious rustling near the ambulance bay. They did not know what had caused it, but the possibility of a venomous reptile was a concern worth checking. With people working around an ambulance entrance, caution made sense.
Snakes in the City dispatched a catcher to investigate. After a thorough check, the area was given the all-clear. The call began with a suspected reptile, rather than a confirmed snake sighting, and the response was an inspection.
Why an all-clear matters
Not every snake-catching call ends with an animal being removed. Sometimes the useful outcome is having a concern properly checked, so the people who raised it are no longer left wondering what to do next.
A rustling sound alone cannot identify an animal. Getting help was a sensible response to uncertainty, especially beside an emergency department. The all-clear reflected the inspection at the time; any fresh sighting or renewed concern would need to be assessed on its own merits.
A small part in keeping the Hawkesbury community safe
Hawkesbury District Hospital, on Day Street in Windsor, has a 24-hour emergency department. Its staff and the ambulance crews arriving there do work that matters to families across the district, every day and every night.
For Snakes in the City, it was good to be able to help the “ambos” and emergency workers who spend so much of their time helping everyone else. This was a small contribution, but one we were pleased to make: answering the call, checking the concern and giving staff a clear outcome.
Concerned about a snake at your property or workplace?
Keep people and pets away from the suspected location and avoid reaching into places you cannot see. When calling, explain what was actually seen or heard, the last known location and the safest way to reach the area.
For snake-catching enquiries in Windsor, the Hawkesbury and across Sydney, call Snakes in the City on 0484 033 337.