Snakes in the City · Local guide

Snake catcher Blaxland

Found a snake near the house or beside a Blaxland garden path? Step back, keep children and pets away, and call SITC with the street address and its last visible position. Our office checks who can attend; you do not need to identify the snake first.

Call SITC · 0411 103 488

What to tell us in the first 30 seconds

Start with the urgent fact: has anyone been bitten, or could a pet have made contact? A suspected human bite is a 000 emergency. For a sighting without a bite, these details let the office understand the scene without asking you to move closer:

The exact street address and the safest entrance—not just “near Blaxland”.
Whether the snake is visible now; if not, the last-seen time, position and direction of travel.
Whether it is inside a room, beneath a deck, beside a retaining wall, in a shed, or on a public path.
Whether children, pets, tenants, customers or workers have been moved to a separate safe area.
Any locked gate, steep stairs, upper or lower driveway, narrow side path or other access issue.

An existing photo can help, but nobody should approach the snake to take one. If the animal moves, call back with the update; do not follow it into vegetation or probe the place where it disappeared.

A useful location is more than “near Blaxland”

The village sits beside the Great Western Highway, while local walks lead into the lower-mountains landscape. A driveway, a public track and a reserve entrance need different responses. Give the property number, nearest cross-street and the safe entrance rather than directing someone to a bush track as a shortcut.

For a sighting near Lennox Bridge, identify the actual path or road location. The bridge is on Mitchells Pass; it is not the bridge of the same name in Parramatta. For private-property attendance, tell the office whether the snake is still visible, has gone beneath a structure, or has moved off the property. Catching a snake that cannot be located cannot be guaranteed.

Stone arch of Lennox Bridge with surrounding trees and creek — Lennox Bridge on Mitchells Pass, in the Blaxland–Glenbrook area. A local landmark for orientation, not a reported snake hotspot. Photograph: Craig Siczak · original photograph · CC BY-SA 4.0. Resized for display; not a SITC call-out photograph.

Gardens beside bushland: what to leave alone

A snake disappearing behind stacked timber or into a retaining-wall gap is not a reason to start dismantling it. Leave the last-seen area undisturbed and watch only from a safe position. Move people out of the work area; do not move objects around the snake to keep it there.

After the immediate concern is resolved, improve visibility along frequently used paths and keep stored materials accessible for inspection. Work within your own property and seek appropriate advice before clearing native vegetation. This is practical access management, not a promise to make a garden snake-proof.

Choose the response that matches the place

Inside a home

Move people and pets into another room. Close an internal door only if you can do it without moving towards the snake. Do not block an exit, reach behind furniture or search a cavity. Watch from a protected position if one is available.

Deck, stairs or retaining wall

Stay on the level of the property furthest from the animal. Do not lean over a wall, dismantle stone or timber, or put tools, water or chemicals into a gap. Use a fixed feature to describe the last-seen point.

School, shop or workplace

Stop activity in the immediate area, move people away and nominate one person to meet the catcher at the correct entrance. Give the room, yard, loading area or gate—not only the business name.

Bush track or reserve

Stop well back and let a snake moving away remain in habitat. Do not follow it off the track. If it is affecting a busy entrance, give the sign, track name or landmark and explain that it is public land so the responsible land manager can be considered.

Tracks and public places

The Florabella Pass and Pippas Pass walk connects Warrimoo and Blaxland. A snake moving through bushland away from people may simply need space. Do not follow it off the track. If a sighting affects a public entrance, explain that when calling so the responsible land manager and an appropriate response can be considered.

Local references: Heritage NSW: Lennox Bridge and Visit NSW: the Blaxland–Warrimoo walk.

People and pets need separate urgent calls

Human bite emergency: call 000, not a snake catcher. Keep the person still and follow ambulance instructions. Use pressure immobilisation for a bitten limb; do not wash, cut or suck the bite or apply a tourniquet. Healthdirect first-aid guidance.

Nepean Hospital emergency department: Building A, Gate 7, Somerset Street, Kingswood. General enquiries 02 4734 2000. This location is for reference; suspected snakebite needs an ambulance, not a drive to hospital.

If a pet may have been bitten, keep it quiet and contact a vet immediately, even if it seems to recover. RSPCA advice explains why waiting for obvious bite marks or symptoms is unsafe.

Blaxland Veterinary Clinic, corner of Hope and Station streets, Blaxland: 02 4739 5028. Its published hours are weekdays 8:30 am–7 pm and Saturday 8:30 am–12:30 pm; closed Sunday. Call to confirm it can receive your pet.

SASH Western Sydney, 1 Rowood Road, Prospect, lists 24-hour emergency care. Phone 02 8609 9444. Call promptly for triage and transport advice; do not delay treatment while waiting for snake removal. These providers are independent of SITC.

Nearby property guides

Match the guide to the actual address and approach. Use the Glenbrook property guide for the adjoining village to the east, snake assistance in Warrimoo for the adjoining village to the west, and the Emu Heights snake catcher page for the boundary below the escarpment. The Emu Plains local guide is useful for the Great Western Highway and Nepean-side approach. The Penrith and Lower Blue Mountains service-area hub lists the wider regional coverage.