Harley was called to the InterContinental Sydney after a slender green snake was discovered inside the hotel. Even in the centre of the city, wildlife can enter a building through landscaped areas, loading zones, open doors or other sheltered access points. Hotel staff needed the situation resolved promptly, without alarming guests or placing anyone at risk.
Calm control in a busy commercial property
A hotel call-out requires more than simply finding the animal. Harley first considered the people moving through the area, possible escape routes and the safest way to control the immediate space. He then identified the reptile as a common tree snake, also widely known as a green tree snake, and completed a careful capture.
Common tree snakes are slender, agile and generally harmless to people, but any unidentified snake should still be treated cautiously. Colour alone is not a reliable identification method. Staff and visitors did the right thing by keeping their distance and allowing an experienced, licensed reptile handler to manage the animal.
A snake with a Sydney Harbour view
After the capture, the accompanying photograph recorded a memorable moment: the safely secured snake in the foreground, with the Sydney Harbour Bridge, Circular Quay ferries and harbour traffic behind it. The image shows that professional snake removal can be needed in the most urban and unexpected locations—not only in bushland-edge homes.
Harley arranged lawful, humane relocation in accordance with his NSW catch-and-release licence. The job demonstrates the experience Snakes in the City brings to hotels, offices, strata buildings, schools, warehouses and other commercial properties where scene control and clear communication are especially important.
What to do if a snake enters a hotel or workplace
- Keep guests, staff and contractors away from the immediate area.
- Close nearby internal doors only when this can be done without approaching the snake.
- Maintain visual contact from a safe distance and note where the animal moves.
- Do not use brooms, bins, boxes or improvised equipment to trap it.
- Call a licensed snake catcher and explain the safest site access.
About common tree snakes
The common tree snake (Dendrelaphis punctulata) is a fast-moving, climbing species whose colouring can vary considerably. The Queensland Environment Department lists it as a common tree snake and provides identification and ecology information. Whatever the apparent species, do not attempt a close inspection or capture yourself.
