Dozens of venomous snakes caught at Alice Springs Airport

Dozens of venomous snakes have been caught at Alice Springs Airport in recent weeks. They have turned up in the check-in area, at the gates and inside the Qantas lounge, NT News reports.

Rex Neindorf of the Alice Springs Reptile Centre was called in to remove them. He told the newspaper the most recent captures were two western brown snakes, one of them found in the middle of the terminal. "They turn up everywhere," he said.

Airport Development Group, which operates the airport, called the arrivals a seasonal phenomenon. The snakes are very active at the moment and are looking for cooler places, it said. Recent flash flooding in the region may have made the problem worse.

Signs at the airport warn passengers.

Australia has more venomous snake species than any other continent. Around 100 of its roughly 170 land snake species are venomous.

Snakes have disrupted aviation before. In 2022 an AirAsia Airbus A320 over Malaysia changed course after passengers spotted a snake in the cabin. On a Raya Airways aircraft, an animal had to be pulled out with considerable force before departure.