Australian Woman, 80, Suffers Three Painful Bites While Rescuing Puppy from Python
An 80-year-old Australian woman has been hailed as a “true legend” after bravely pulling her puppy out of the tight grip of a carpet python.
Although both the dog and the snake walked away with only minor injuries, the heroic grandmother wasn’t so lucky—she ended up with three bite wounds during the daring rescue.
The drama unfolded on Tuesday evening when the Lennox Head local heard her young dog “screaming” outside. Alarmed, she rushed out to investigate and found a python wrapped firmly around the pup, which already had bite marks on its chin.
Without hesitation, she jumped into action, prying the snake off her pet while enduring three bites herself. Once the python released the dog, it slithered away into a neighboring yard. Determined to keep it from returning, she tracked it down and relocated it into a nearby bush.
Her daughter shared the incredible story online, posting a picture of the fearless woman standing in her driveway, holding the snake by the tail and inspecting one of the bites on her arm.
“Mum got bitten three times getting the snake off her pup,” she wrote proudly.
Australians flooded the comments with praise for her bravery. “They don’t make them like that anymore — such a tough, kind-hearted lady,” one person wrote. Another added, “I hope the puppy isn’t too shaken up.” Others called her “gutsy” and a “trooper,” while many urged her to seek medical care to prevent infection. Her daughter later confirmed that the dog had been checked by a vet.
The humble heroine declined interviews, with her daughter telling Yahoo News that her mum simply “did what she had to do.”
Although carpet python bites aren’t venomous, they can be nasty. Technically, people need a license to handle wild snakes, meaning her actions were against wildlife rules.
Snake catcher Mathew Hampton told Yahoo News that, while he doesn’t advise anyone to intervene in such situations, he completely understands why she acted on instinct.
“It’s one of those moments where love for your pet takes over,” he explained. “I wouldn’t recommend trying to handle a snake, but I get why she did it. She did an incredible job — she’s clearly very tough.”