Unexpected Discovery: Snake Found Onboard Australian Plane, Causing Delay

An unexpected discovery led to a considerable delay on a domestic flight in Australia after a stowaway snake was spotted. This incident was reported on Wednesday by officials.

As passengers prepared to embark on Virgin Australia's Flight VA337 at Melbourne Airport, a snake was discovered in the cargo area by snake expert Mark Pelley. The flight was bound for Brisbane.

Pelley revealed that the snake was a harmless green tree snake measuring about 2 feet. However, in the dim light of the cargo hold, it initially seemed menacing and potentially venomous.

"Not until I had secured the snake did I confirm it wasn't venomous. Before then, I feared it was dangerous," explained Pelley.

Australia is home to many of the planet's most dangerous snakes, which added to the initial concern.

When entering the cargo space, the snake was partially obscured behind a panel, with the potential risk of sneaking further into the aircraft.

Pelley informed an aircraft technician and the airline's personnel that they might need to clear the plane if the snake managed to slip away.

"I warned them, if I missed on the first attempt, the snake could vanish into the aircraft's panels, necessitating an evacuation as we couldn’t ascertain its type at that moment," Pelley recounted.

Fortunately, Pelley captured the snake successfully on his first try. "Had I failed, the plane's engineers and I would still be searching through a 737 for a snake," he added.

Pelley needed about 30 minutes to drive to the airport and faced additional delays due to security, all before reaching the aircraft.

The flight encountered a two-hour postponement, according to an airline spokesperson.

Speculating about its origins, Pelley thought the snake might have sneaked into someone's luggage in Brisbane and then escaped during the flight to Melbourne.

Due to quarantine laws, releasing the snake back into nature wasn't an option.

As a safeguarded species, the snake was entrusted to a Melbourne vet who will seek a qualified snake handler to provide it a new home.

Green tree snakes are common in regions with dense shrubs and vegetation, where they feed on frogs, birds, and their eggs.