My name is Austin Stevens.
I photograph the most dangerous animals in the world.
Austin: “If I see any sign of movement, I’ve got
to get the Hell out.”
Now I’m on the hunt for Africa’s biggest snake.
Austin: “He’s gonna get away.”
To find out if real monsters still exist.
Austin: “Ah, he’s closing on my neck.
That’s not good.”
Austin: “Africa used to be full of giant snakes
like this.
This is the biggest snake we find on this continent, and they grow up to five or six
metres long.
It’s the African Rock Python.”
Austin: “You guys wanna feel a snake?”
Park Patrons: “Yeah!”
Austin: “Feel how smooth and shiny he is.
He’s not wet and slimy like people often believe.
He’s actually very nice to touch.
All touch him.
You all come and stick your hands out.”
Take it from me, this rock python may look scary, but he’s been reared in a snake park,
and is a baby compared to some.
Austin: “If you get a big snake and it coils around you, it could constrict you so powerfully
that you can’t breathe, and then you’ll die.
It’s one of the few snakes in the world that has the potential to swallow a human
being.
It’s actually big enough to eat a little kid like this.
He could swallow you when he’s fully grown.”
Woman: “He’s twisting me arm.”
Austin: “Yeah, that’s okay.
Just let him hold you.
Let him hold your arm.
You, yeah, when the blood stops, just tell me.
Yeah.
Take pictures of that; he’s doing it all by himself.
I want everybody around to say goodbye to Peter Python.
Okay?
Smile at Peter.
One, two, three, camera.”
Believe it or not, this is what I used to do for a living – performing in snake parks
to educate people about these wonderful animals.
In those days, large pythons were not difficult to find, and their preferred habitats were
abundant.
Rock pythons take over twenty years to reach a full size of around five metres long.
They need somewhere with plenty of food and well away from their main enemy – man.
Today, these places are few and far between.
But I know a remarkable location that was once home to some of the largest pythons in
Africa.
Now I’m heading back.
My assignment is to see if these real monsters still exist, and get the photos to prove it.
Austin: “I haven’t visited this area for over
twenty years.
It’s a place called St. Lucia, in northern Zululand – one of the last and most remote
areas of Southern Africa.”
Running down South Africa’s east coast, St. Lucia connects tropical Mozambique with
the cooler south.
Its range of habitats means more animals live here than anywhere else in the country.
So the road in is always full of possibility.
Austin: “One of the best ways to find snakes is
to travel the tall roads, especially at dusk and especially after rain.
You’ll find snakes lingering on the road, even pythons, and they stay just that little
bit longer because it’s nice and warm.
And that’s your chance.
That’s when you can find them and catch them.”
But this isn’t anything like the place I remember.
Austin: “This used to be solid yucca bush on both
sides, right up to the edge, no houses, no people.
Now I’m seeing people walking along the streets; I’m seeing houses all over the
place.
A lot of the forest has been taken down.
Quite depressing.”
I need to keep going and find somewhere well away from people.
So, as night falls, I continue on.
Austin: “There’s something, something on the road.
It’s a snake, I can see it, it’s a snake.
A big one!
Hey, get him off the road.
Get him off.
Wow, look at this.
This is a file snake.
It’s a big file snake.
Let’s have a look at this guy in the light.
Look at him.
This is a very unusual snake.
It’s unique.
It’s a lovely snake; it’s not venomous, that’s why I’m handling it so easily.
The thing that makes this snake so different from any others is the scales.
And if you look along the pattern, especially along the ridge of the back, it’s a very
coarse row of scales going all the way down.
It’s actually hard, like a file.
The scales on the side are separated so that you can actually see the skin in between each
scale, again, making it look like a triangular file.
And the body is very coarse.
Even more interesting is the fact that these guys eat other snakes, and they eat venomous
snakes and non-venomous snakes.
The reason is is that this snake has a high resistance to the venom of all other venomous
snakes in this area.
So he could, in fact, grab onto a cobra, bite the cobra.
The cobra will immediately turn and bite him as well.
It happens very often.
But he will not be affected by that venom, and he will slowly work his jaws around until
he gets the cobra over the head and actually swallows him down.
It’s amazing.”
Austin: “Isn’t that gorgeous?
Isn’t he a wonderful snake?
Look at that.
He says, ‘Who’s this guy?
I’ve never seen this guy before.
You’ve seen me on TV, you must watch every now and then and you’ll see something.’
I’m fooling around now.
I’m gonna put him in the car and take him, release him where he’s safe.”
If I want this file snake to survive, I’ve got to move it away from the main road.
Austin: “There we go.
Aren’t you beautiful still, eh?
Just as active as he was when I found him.
Aren’t you gorgeous?
It’s such a nice feeling when you rescue something from a potentially dangerous situation
and then you let it go.
Off you go, boy.”
All those people and just one snake.
I’ll have to try a different tack tomorrow.
Next morning, I discover there are still plenty of people about.
But I have a plan.
Austin: “So much human activity around here.
I’ve just got to get away from it.
I think the best thing I can do is head further into the St. Lucia park.
And considering all the kit and stuff I’ve got, and the difficult roads, I’m probably
gonna do best in my canoe.”
My plan is to head up the narrow channel connecting the Indian Ocean to St. Lucia’s wild interior.
Few people come here and for good reason.
Austin: “This is one thing about canoeing in these
waters, you’ve gotta be very, very careful and keep an eye out because there’s big
hippos in this water, and a lot of big crocodiles.”
This estuary is one of the few places in the world where hippos and crocs share the water
with sharks.
The marsh on either side is almost impenetrable, protecting this wilderness from the outside
world.
But even this place has changed since I was last here.
A long drought means the river hasn’t reached the sea for seven years.
But soon I reach the beautiful waters of Lake St. Lucia, and an isolated corner of Africa,
just as I remember it.
Austin: “You hear that?
Vervet monkeys, just in the jungle there, calling.
It’s an alarm call.
Could be anything, could be a leopard, but it could be my python.
It’s worth having a look.”
It’s not always easy to spot snakes, so it helps having friends in high places.
Austin: ”There they are, monkey up there.
A lot of them.
And they’re chattering away.
There’s something here.
There’s what the monkeys were going on about.
It’s a forest cobra, and a big one too.
He’s climbing up the tree, there he goes.
These guys are unusual and slightly different from other cobras in just that fact – they
like to climb trees, and they get away really quickly if you don’t catch them.
Monkey consider these guys very dangerous, and that’s why the monkeys were calling
like that, and rightly so too, because it’s a highly venomous snake.
Neuro-toxic venom just like all the other cobras.
Come on.
There, got him.
I’ve got him.
He’s a big boy.
That’s fantastic.
Oh look at him looking at my bag.
Forest cobra.
Gotta get a camera.
This snake is found only in this area.
It’s unique and it’s the biggest cobra found in South Africa.
Look at me, come on.”
Its venom is extremely potent.
A single bite could paralyze and even kill me.
Austin: ”Giving a little bit of a hiss, getting
a bit of a hood.
He can stand a lot taller than that.
He’s beautiful.
That’s it.
He’s thinking about, he’s thinking about fooling with me.
I wanna get a real close-up while he’s doing this hood for me.
I mustn’t get him striking at my hand.
If I keep very still, very calm.
Get right in there.
That’s it, a high hood.
Look how high that hood can go.
He’s just warning me, just warning me.
Isn’t he gorgeous?
You’re so gorgeous, eh?
How gorgeous are you?
Hey, you’re wise.
He’s just giving me a warning, eh?
Look at this boy, that’s a nice boy.
I just love to do that.
I’ve gotta touch a cobra.
When a cobra makes a hood, you’ve just gotta feel that hood.
I just keep wanting to photograph.
That’s the problem; I get addicted to this.
When do I see another forest cobra?
I just want to take a few more.
Alright, that’s fantastic, I’m gonna let him go.
He’s been so good.
He’s been so good.
Okay, that should do it.
Tricky bit now to get his tail.
Nearly got him.
There.
I’ve got him.
Now I’ll just put him right here.
Right down here.
You gonna climb?
You can get away now.
Isn’t this a wonderful snake?
You hear that hiss?
Just giving me a little warning.
Look how he looks up straight away, says, ‘Ah, that’s the way out.’
Fantastic snake, fantastic shoot.
I love it.
Off he goes.”
And so do I.
The forest cobra is only a third the size of a rock python, and not half as aggressive.
But it tells me I’ve made it to big snake country.
The question is: are conditions here right for giant pythons?
Austin: “Such a lot of forest here and such a lot
of water.
I mean I’m seeing game trails and I’m seeing some game prints.
But they, they’re not a lot.
I thought that there’d be more.
I thought animals would be coming to drink here.
And that would be an ideal place for pythons to be – right on the edge of the water over
here.
There’s quite a lot of water.
It’s pretty wet.
It’s not easy to see the tracks.
Anything could be in here, though, this is the thing.
You just don’t know.
I mean there’s, there’s so much game around, but this bush is so thick, if they come from
the water and they move into bush, I wouldn’t even know if there’s something in there.”
The biggest pythons rely on a steady supply of food – anything from rats to antelope.
My plan is to find somewhere these prey animals congregate.
Usually that’s by water.
But I’m finding a surprising lack of tracks around the lake.
Austin: ”Mmm, oh, that’s really salty.
Much saltier than I thought.
I thought I’d get a lot of animals coming down here to drink and maybe they would attract
pythons, But no way.
This lake is very shallow, a lot of evaporation.
It’s very salty.
I’m more likely to have luck back in the forest.”
The lake is too shallow to paddle any further.
So I head inland to set up camp and weigh up my options.
Austin: “I’ve picked this time of year because
it’s just getting cooler now, heading for the winter months.
Most pythons are gonna be holding up right now.
And this is good because, in the mornings, when the sun comes out, they’ll come out
and bask.
And that’s my chance to find them.”
So I’ll be up with the sun, hunting for pythons.
Austin: “Beautiful family of kudu down there.
I’m sure they don’t drink the water; it’s too salty.
But they probably eat the grass around the edge.
I haven’t been here for like twenty years, so I’m sort of trying to get the lay of
the land.
My plan is to move inland, follow game trails, find anything that might lead me towards a
python den.”
I’ve got a few key areas in mind.
It just depends how much things have changed.
First, I’m going to check out the swamp behind my camp.
If that’s no good, I’ll head north to an area of grasslands and forest.
The swamp immediately looks promising.
The lush vegetation tells me the water here is fresh.
And with fresh water in such short supply, there’s a chance hungry pythons will come
here.
Austin: “Beautiful expansive water.
Perfect place for pythons.
Animals always congregate around water.
And pythons are not afraid of water; they love water.
They’ll sit in the water and they’ll sit in the water for hours.
Any little animals come down to drink, if the python’s close by, he’s got a chance
of grabbing and feeding on him.
Also take water birds, anything that’s moving around this water.
Always a good place to look for animals, around water.”
Austin: “A lot of animal tracks.
Animals obviously come here.
Oh hang on, there’s a young python here.
That’s fantastic.
I knew it, there are pythons in the area.
I don’t want to go to close.
He’s lying as though he’s camouflaged.
He’s hoping that I’ll go right past.
He knows I’m here.
But he’s hoping I’ll go right past.
He’s perfectly camouflaged, perfectly blending in there, see that?
Look over here.
He actually swallowed something, see that?
There, you can see more clearly.
The bulge in his body over there.
I don’t want to go too close.
Snakes regurgitate their food if they get upset.
And this guy’s just waiting.
He’s lying dead still.
He’s either going to take off like a shot, or he’s gonna turn and strike at me.
But if he gets rattled, if he gets upset, he’s gonna regurgitate that.
Snakes can do that.
They get upset, they regurgitate their food and they make a break for it.
So I don’t want that to happen.
If you look to the left, you can just see how thin the body is there, along there.
There’s the big bulge here, where the food is, and the body gets thinner again over there.”
A large meal can take weeks to digest, and could sustain the snake for many months.
Austin: “He’s much smaller than what I’m looking
for.
But it’s really nice to know there are pythons in this area.
I’m gonna leave him just like that.
That’s great news.
There are pythons here.
The thing is, just to find that big one.”
The marshy ground and dense vegetation are ideal for pythons but it makes snake hunting
tough.
After a day spent searching the swamp, I have only the one small python to show for it.
Time to consider plan B.
Austin: “I’m not having much luck between here
and the coast.
I’m thinking tomorrow I’m gonna start heading north.”
What I’m looking for is fresh grazing, which should be home to plenty of python fodder.
Austin: “All the game tracks I’m finding on these
trails appear to be heading north into the wilderness.
So I suspect my idea’s right, and I’m going north.”
It’s no wonder there’s so much animal traffic here.
Austin: “Look at that view.
Pretty unique.
Right over there you’ve got grass-covered sand dunes, goes down into forest, and over
there swamp forest, and just behind that, the lake.
Somewhere down there is the python I’m looking for.”
This jumble of habitats is key to producing giant pythons.
It provides so much food that even a big snake will never go hungry.
But it doesn’t make my job any easier.
While pythons hunt in open grasslands, they can easily slither into pockets of swamp forest
to hide.
So I’ve got to check them out as well.
Austin: “It actually gets dark down here in the
swamp forest.
When I used to come here years ago to photograph frogs and snakes, I’d, on occasion, run
into buffalo or sometimes hippo even.
Those animals are inclined to wallow down here sometimes.
And I’m actually seeing some prints right now, which could be something like old buffalo
prints.
That’s the kind of area you don’t want to be in too long, because there’s too many
places animals can be hidden, you cannot see them.
You come across them suddenly, you’re in trouble.
Better to get to the other side as quickly as possible.”
But that’s easier said than done.
This place is riddled with potential hiding places for pythons.
Just getting close to them is tricky.
Austin: “This is one of the reasons game comes down
here, drink the water.
This is actually fresh water.
You’ve got to be careful because everywhere around it is like marshy, almost like quicksand.
You gotta watch your stepping.”
Pythons like to bask in patches of sunlight.
So a small clearing looks promising.
Austin: “A big hole over here.
Really big.
And typically, it curves around.
It looks like it’s almost in use.
There’s something been going in and out.
I mean there could be wild pig in here.
I’d better just be careful and have a look.
This is a typical type of hole I would want.
I might expect to find a python.
I’ve got to take a look deeper in.
Austin: “Oh, ah.
It’s a crocodile.
And a big crocodile, right here, he’s got his head facing this way as well.
Look at the size of this animal.
It’s a massive crocodile, I’d guess about four metres.
Heavy, heavy, big body.
His head is right on this side.
It’s close to the entrance.
It could come shooting at me any minute.
This is not a good idea.
Hear him hissing?
He’s actually exhaling.
He’s a little bit rattled that I’m in there.
It wouldn’t be a good idea to see that guy come out of here really mad.
I’m gonna leave him alone and get the heck out.”
Just like that croc, pythons rely on holes for protection.
Even the largest snakes are vulnerable to attack by anything from a mongoose to a hyena.
So even though it’s risky, I’ve got to keep checking out the holes, especially along
the forest edge.
Austin: “Wow, this is very interesting.
Can you see what I’m looking at?
That’s the ultimate in camouflage.
That’s a gaboon viper.
I’m just gonna gently move him.
So how he’s, how he feels about that.
Look at that body.
Look at the colours on this body.
And look at the size of that head, see the head there?
You okay boy?
Oh, he’s starting to flatten out a little bit; he doesn’t like this too much.
Just look at that.
Look at the size of the head.
See the teardrops that he has coming from the eye.
Dark colour, light colour, dark colour again.
Perfect blend.
You would never know there’s an eye behind that if he’s lying in the leaves, as he’s
just been.
Look at the body.
Wow, he’s much bigger than I thought.
He looked a lot smaller.”
The Gaboon Viper is one of the most dangerous snakes in the world.
Untreated, a bite would disable me in minutes and kill me in hours.
Austin: “The venom is a toxic combination of psycho-toxins
and neuro-toxins.
Double jeopardy here.
You’ve gotta be very careful.
Actually, while working with one at a snake park many years ago, I got pricked in the
finger.
Three days of absolute Hell, feeling like your hand is in a fire and you can’t move
it out.
That’s how painful it is.
That’s the best way to describe it.
Your hand is in a fire and you cannot remove it.
That’s a terrible, terrible venom these guys have got.
It’s very easy to become complacent.
You think because he’s calm like this, you think that you’re fine.
But he can suddenly erupt.
I’ve seen Gaboon vipers go off like a steam train.
Wah!
They can strike out and you just see leaves and stuff fly.
Very powerful snake.
See how he’s coiled in the neck?
Definitely ready for a strike if he needs to.
But I don’t want to scare him.
I’ll get a nice shot here.”
Austin: “Okay.
Wow, what a snake.
I wanna try and lift him up so you can actually see what a kind of…I’m being as gentle
as I can with this guy ‘cause I don’t want any trouble from this snake at all.
Very nervous of a snake like this.
They’re just too fast and too unpredictable.
You hear that?
Steam train.
It’s just giving me a warning.
Doesn’t mind being picked up.
Doesn’t like my hand on his tail.
I’m very gentle, very slow.
Look at that body.
Look at that snake.
Is that gorgeous or what, eh?
That’s the most beautiful snake you’ll ever see.
The fangs are hinging fangs, like all vipers.
So theyr’e tucked up in the top of their mouth, on the top of the roof of the mouth.
And just look at the gorgeous body.
Look at the bottom.
I want to turn him around.
Look underneath.
See the pattern over there?
Everywhere you look on this snake is completely camouflaged.
He’s perfectly designed for forest dwelling.
Wow, it’s absolutely gorgeous.
I’m absolutely awed.
Put him down again.
Incredible things.
He’s giving me a warning again.
Mustn’t fool with this guy too much.”
Austin: “Now I have been asked that, if I come across
one of these snakes, it would be very nice to get a sample of their venom for medical
research.
There’s a lot of research into antivenene, anti-venom, anti-snake bit serums.
And Gaboon viper venom would be very valuable.
I have got the apparatus with me, but this is such a big snake that it might be worth
trying.
Let’s see what I’ve got here.
I’m really nervous about doing this.
Let’s just see what his reaction is, because I have to take the snake behind the head.
That is not a good idea with a Gaboon viper, ever.
He doesn’t like that.
Don’t like that, I don’t blame you boy.
Okay, he’s going to jerk loose any minute.
I’ve gotta get a really, really good grip here.
These guys are so powerful.
If you haven’t got your hands exactly right, and those fangs can reach, got it.
I’ve got him.
He’s resisting me, yeah, I can feel the body moving; he’s getting taut.
Look at that.
What a fantastic snake.
There, now I can ac, he’s getting a bit rattled.
This is the problem now.
He’s very strong.
I think the first thing I must do is let him bite straight away.
Okay, I’m a bit nervous with this, ‘cause these guys have got bit mouths.
Let’s see what happens.”
Austin: “You’re going to bite this?
I’m sure he’s going to now.
I’m sure he’s going to.
God, his fangs are so big and his mouth is so big, it’s gone right over the edge of
the glass.
It’s gone right over the edge.
Those fangs are enormous, and there’s venom running in the glass and down onto my hand.
I’ve got venom all over my finger there.
Look at that fang.
These are enormous fangs.
You cannot imagine what it’ll do to you if you got bitten by a snake like this.
God, he’s so big, I’ve got my hand covered in venom.
Better not have any cuts on my hand.
If you’ve got cuts on your hand, the venom gets in there, it’s almost like being bitten.
God he’s big.
There’s all venom on my hands.
Where’s my forceps?
Can’t lose concentration.
Fangs pulled back as soon as I, as soon as he came off the flask.
And if I lift them up, you can see them there again.
Biggest fangs of any snake in the world.
Look at that.
And he’s strong, look at those.
I’m gonna have to let go of this snake very soon because he’s going to squeeze out of
my hand and I cannot control him and I’ll get bitten for sure.
Really.
Okay, now this is the most dangerous part, trying to get your hands away from there.
So what I’ve got to do, ‘cause he’s coiled, ready to strike.
He wants to go for me now.
He’s really mad now.
Doesn’t like that at all.
I have to let go of his head very quickly.
That’s all I can do.
No secret way to get out of this.”
Austin: “What a snake.
Look at the beauty of this snake.
That is the most incredible creature.
Isn’t that fantastic?
I’d love to get a real close-up of that head, but he’d probably kill me.
You know what he’s saying there, ‘I dare you,’ he says, ‘come closer, just come
closer.’
What a snake.
Alright, that’s enough.
That was something else, I tell you.
Bye boy.
Thanks for that.
He says, ‘Bugger off.’
Okay.
I’ve got to wash this venom off, straight away.
I mean, this stuff is sticky and it sticks.
And the next thing you do, you’re rubbing your eye or something and you get it in your
eye.
That’s it.
Pour some on here.
Just get as much off as I can for now.
God, I tell you.”
No python in this patch of forest.
But the rare viper tells me I’ve found a good area for big snakes.
But spotting them in the surrounding grassland won’t be easy.
Even a giant serpent stands just ten centimetres tall.
So any clues are likely to be well hidden in the grass.
Austin: “Here, look at this.
You see here, that’s the kind of thing I’d be looking for.
Obviously something has lain here.
You can see the grass is all pressed flat.
Perfect clue.
And this guy’s moved off and he’s gone through the grass over here.
Now this is the kind of thing a python could come across and he might just pick up the
scent.
He might wait here or he might move on and follow this.
It just depends how old the trail is.
Snakes can pick up a scent very well with their tongues.
There’s no problem at all.
I’ll lose this guy straight away.
Very hard for me to find anything in this grass, but a python could find it with no
effort at all.”
Wildebeest and zebras are too big, even for a monster snake.
But by mowing down the vegetation, they make hunting for signs of pythons a little bit
easier.
So this open grassland is a very good place to continue my search.
Austin: “Look at this.
See that?
That’s definitely a python track.
Even got his tail pulling through the sand there, just the tip of his tail.
I wouldn’t have seen this, except it’s right on this game trail where the sand is
soft.
And you lose it quickly unless you move along the trail.
You don’t even see it with the naked eye until you line it up.
Go down and line it up.
Now you can see a python trail.
All the way, it’s been through here.
Quite a big guy.
It would have to be a big snake to make a trail that wide.
It’s not easy to tell exactly which direction he’s going, but I would imagine towards
that forest over there.
I’m gonna trail him.”
But in the heavy brush, the trail quickly peters out, and I’m back to square one,
searching for new leads.
Austin: “Hey, look at this.
Here’s a shed skin.
Snake skin, and it’s a big one.
It’s a pretty big one.
It’s got to be a python; it’s too big to be anything else.
Look at that.
Here I’ve got the head.
Here’s the head as well.
Look at this.
I’ve got almost a complete python skin.
It’s very unusual to get this much of the skin in one go.
‘Cause a large snake like this, when they’re shedding the skin, it usually breaks off in
little pieces, scattered all over the countryside.
If you look at the skin there, you can clearly see the eye caps as well.
If you turn it over like that, still see the eye caps there, and here you can see the real
colour of the snake’s head.
A snake actually sheds its skin inside out, and the best way to explain this is imagine
you put a sock onto your arm, and you roll that sock off.
That’s how a snake sheds its skin.
It just rolls itself out of the skin and leaves the entire skin behind.
I’ve probably got just about the whole snake here.
I’ll lift these up; you’ll get an idea of how big he actually was, or is.
Look at that.
I can’t even get that bit off the ground, like that, and I’ve got the tail half over
here.
So all in all, this is quite a big guy.
This skin is pretty fresh.
I’m really amazed.
That part of the back was still damp from being under the bush there.
I’m thinking the snake might still be in the area and I’m gonna have a closer look,
just in case he’s around.”
When snakes outgrow their skins they shed them.
That skin was over three metres long.
Daunting, but promising.
Austin: “Hey, look here.
A whole family of warthogs here.
Mother with three young ones.
Perfect food for pythons, those young ones are perfect food.
Of course you’d have to watch out; no python’s gonna grab one of those young ones without,
without mother having something to say about it.
They’ve got these tusks and those tusks get big, sometimes up to nine inches.
And they usually sleep in holes, maybe aardvark holes.
And I’m gonna follow them; it might be worth it.
There’s a couple holes around there.
I might just find something that’s suitable for pythons as well.”
Austin: “This is where the pigs came in; I can see
why.
There’s holes here.
There’s holes there, there’s holes there, there’s holes here.
These might be old aardvark holes.
It’s the kind of thing pigs love.
I mean they could be in here.
There’s some tracks here, but they’re not fresh tracks.
I’ve got to be very careful.
If they have gone down one of these holes and I stick my head in there, I’m in trouble.
I want to have a quick look just in case, ‘cause this is ideal for pythons.
If these holes are abandoned, not being used by anybody at the moment, that’s just the
place for pythons.
And these are big holes, very nice holes.
A bit nervous about going down here.
If I see any sign of movement, I’ve got to get the Hell out.
Holy mackerel, it goes on quite a deep way.
But it looks like there’s a lot of sand in there.
I don’t see fresh tracks, not of snakes, not of pigs.
I don’t think there’s anything in here.
But I see more holes around there.
It’s worth checking this whole area.
It’s obviously a good area.
That’s why those pigs have come in here.
There might be more.”
Austin: “Look over here.
A really nice hole right under branches over there, see that?
There’s a lot of holes around here.
It’s a really good one, look at that.
Hey, look at this.
Look at this, look at this.
See this over here?
It’s very faint, but this is new.
Almost certainly a python track.
It’s so wide.
I don’t know if it’s going in or coming out.
That’s the only problem.
It may be coming out or it may be going in.
I’ve got to have a look.
That is certainly a snake, a big snake.
These tunnels are very deep.
Sometimes they branch off to the right or the left.
Oh, there’s lot of sign in there of something being in there.
Lots of smooth sand, ‘cause it’s dry inside there.
I’m not going in there.
I’m much too claustrophobic to dig into this.
And the other thing is, of course, I’ve been bitten in the face by a python before
and you don’t want to experience that.
Imagine that, it’s like razor blades eating you full in the face.
You bleed like a pig.
It’s not fun at all.
There’s spiders in here as well.
This is something I’ve got to look into.
If this snake has not left, if this is not a trail leaving here, then he’s in here,
that’s for sure.”
Austin: “I’ve got a plan.
Rather than risk my face getting bitten again by sticking my head in there, I’m gonna
send this camera down first.
It’s got infrared as well, so I don’t even need light.
It’s about the best I can do.
Pretty solid.
Running?
Here goes nothing.
You don’t want to be in a confined space with a big python.
Not if you can’t get out really fast.
So I’d rather do this.
This stick doesn’t go far around enough.
I can’t get right around the bend.
It’s not working as well as I thought.
There’s only one answer.”
And it’s something I desperately hoped to avoid.
But this borough looks so promising, and I’ve come so far, I’ve got to overcome my fear
and go in myself.
Austin: “I’ll just get myself a little bit of
protection.
I mean a hundred teeth from a python is no joke.
This is not gonna help that much.
It’s better than nothing.”
Austin: “Geez, it’s even smaller than I thought.
This is not good.
The infrared’s working, but I don’t see much.
Ah!
Ah jeez!
He’s in there.
He’s in there.
He’s in there, definitely.
He hit the lens.
He’s in there.
The python is in there.
I’ve got him.
I can’t tell anything about how big he is, but he definitely lunged at me.
I’ve gotta have a look at this.
There’s so much sand and stuff here.
Let me just check this out.
He’s in there, there’s no question about it.
Something struck at this lens.
Just like a bump, you know what I mean?
Something solid.
Yeah, there it is.
There it is.
Bang, right on my screen.
Right on my lens.
The lens is okay.
Luckily the lens is tucked far back.”
Well, I’m glad that wasn’t my face.
Austin: “Only thing I can do now is actually stake
him out.
He’s got to come out some time or another.
And it’s cool today and I think, when the sun starts coming out and he gets a chance
to bask, he’s gonna be out like a shot.
If I can place myself well hidden somewhere where he doesn’t detect me, I’m gonna
get this python.
I have to get at least half his body coming out, so I’ve got a chance to run and grab
him.
‘Cause if he sees me, like a shot he’ll be back in there.
The tall, tunnel is tight.
As you go around the bend, it’s almost impossible to move, and I don’t know how far it goes.
Fantastic.
I’m gonna get this guy.
Just gonna set myself up really nice.”
Snakes are sensitive to vibrations and have a keen sense of smell.
I must stay downwind and perfectly still.
The first two hours leave me feeling more determined than ever.
But two more leave me itching for a backup plan.
Austin: “No sign of him at all.
I know he’s in there.
One of two things.
I either spooked him when I went down with the camera, or because it’s a cool day,
maybe waiting for sun to come out and he can go and bask.”
But there’s a third possibility.
These boroughs are like rabbit warrens and often have more than one exit.
So it’s worth having a look around.
Austin: “There he is.
Look at that.
He must have come out another hole on the other side.
And he’s gonna get away!
He’s trying to get away, he’s trying to go down the hole.
Oh, here comes his head.
Okay, okay.
Come on.
He’s trying to get me now.
That’s more like it.
Ah!
No, come back.
He’s going up, I’ve gotta get the body.
Get his head.
I’ve got it.
It’s a real python.
This is a big boy.
Let me take a breather.
He wants to bite me.
If I get my face near that, he’ll lunge up.
I’m letting his body come out, ‘cause he’s coming out on his own now because he
wants to get around my body so that he can grip on something to pull his head loose.
So I’m letting him come because I can’t make him, I can’t get him out.
There we go.
Let me get him away from the hole.
See what he’s doing?
Got my hand, got my leg.
I’ll take a breath.
Oh!”
Pythons may not be venomous, but this is about sixty kilograms of pure muscle.
Austin: “See this?
All he wants to do is grip onto me and start pulling his head loose.
Once he starts pulling his head loose, you can’t stop it.
Just like I couldn’t get him out of there.
As soon as they’ve got one grip, you can’t move.
Okay, first thing I want to do is get some pictures of this guy and I want to see how
big he is.
Look at this.
He’s looking at, oh.
Oh yeah, he’s not a happy snake.
Look at that.
And see all those teeth in there?
He’s got six rows of teeth.
Three quarters hidden by gum at the moment; you can just see the little points sticking
out.
But they’re like razors; they’re like razor sharp.
It grabs onto you, those teeth hook in, you can’t get him off.
If he pulls back, it pulls you with.
That’s how he kills his prey, okay?
And the jaws are loosely connected by tendons there and on the sides, of course.
And the jaws actually separate on those tendons.
And they keep stretching.
So a snake this size could take in an animal like, you know, like an Alsatian dog sort
of size, like a wild pig, no problem at all.
And I’ll tell you, some of these snakes get even a lot bigger than this.”
Austin: “I’ll get to my camera like this.
Alrighty, ‘cause I’ve got to get some pictures of this.
I’ve gotta show this big snake.
Definitely.
Now I’ve gotta get him off and just lay him down and see what he’ll do, if he’ll
give me a minute.
He mustn’t get into any holes anywhere.
Okay.
He’s got himself so wrapped up here.
I don’t want to let go of the head.
If I let go of the head, he’s gonna go for me straight away.
I gotta get him off.
Come on boy, let go.
Wow.
You hear him hissing?
Okay.
You can just hear that.
Just giving you a warning.
Just wanna get, wow, he’s cross.
If he could get out, oh.
I know what it’s like; I was bitten in the face by one of these once, years and years
and years ago.
It was an accident.
I was actually holding the snake like this and it forced me up and opened its mouth and
hooked in my face.
It was terrible.
You can’t believe how much blood comes out of your face.
Okay, I’m gonna have to let him go.
So I’m gonna take some pictures, so I’m gonna stand back here.
Okay.
Ready boy?
If he goes, I’m just gonna have to.
He’s gonna strike.
Ah!
Ah, jeez!
He’s striking further than I thought.
Oh!
Wait, get that shot.
Beautiful boy, oh.
He’s got reach.
There he goes.
He’s gonna take off again.
I’ve gotta get him back!
He wants in.
Okay.
Ah, ah!
Okay.
He just missed my stomach.
Look at those teeth in there now.
They’re exposed, see that?
And he’s hooked into my shirt.
That was close, closer than I like.
He’s letting go.
There we go.
Look at that.
Full mark.
I don’t see any blood.
Okay.”
This monster’s almost five metres long.
But to prove it, I need something for scale – me.
Austin: “There we go.
Let’s see if I can get him up.
For the grand finale picture I want.
Here boy.
Don’t squeeze me, okay?
Not too much, anyway.
There we go, look at that.
I’ve got to be careful now, ‘cause he’s right around my neck.
That’s one thing, you know?
This is a non-venomous snake, powerful constrictor.
If I was bitten by a venomous snake in the bush, I’d probably have a couple hours still
to get somewhere.
If this guy actually wrapped around me and I didn’t have my hand around his head, and
he went around my neck or my chest, he’d constrict the, the air out of me within about
two to three minutes.
I mean just think of it.
Hold your breath as long as you can.
He does that, you breathe out, he tightens his coils.
You try and take another breath in, you can’t and he tightens his coils.
You’ll never breathe again.
That’s incredible.”
Austin: “If I can put my camera up in one of those
trees over there.
Woo.
Let me see.
View all my settings, get my flash set up.
Ah, okay.
Let me stick that up in a tree and see what happens.
There while it’s just balancing.
Okay first, let me spread him out a bit.
Felt like a hard…
Oh, come on.
He’s closing on my neck.
That’s not good.
Come on.
Oh, no body.
Ah!
That’s it, that’s it.
Alright, get my remote.
There we go.
We’ve got it.
Okay, first I’ll spread him out as much as I can and hope I’ve got the camera aimed
correctly.
Up you go boy.
Alright, here I go.
Press remote now.
Here we go.
Ah!
Me and python, African rock python at its best.
Powerful, well fed, strong, agro, ready to take on anything.
Isn’t it gorgeous?
And it’s so fantastic to know that you can still get these big snakes in the wild.
That is fantastic.
I am so pleased with that, and I’m so pleased it didn’t kill me.
Ah.”
It’s been quite an adventure.
St. Lucia is clearly a shrinking oasis.
But I’ve got the proof that it’s still got room for monster snakes.
Rock pythons never stop growing.
So who knows what I’ll find when next I return.
