One of Australia's endangered snakes released back into the wild | Today Show Australia

Added: 2026-05-13

[00:00:00]Just return to our top gun story now.

[00:00:02]Please, [laughter] can we leave that behind? Let's move on.

[00:00:05]Australia's conservationists have pulled off a world first, releasing one of our most endangered snakes back into the wild.

[00:00:11]>> Actually, maybe we should go back to our snakes. [laughter] It is an incredible milestone for the team, proving that even our venomous locals can get a second chance of survival. Billy and Dylan from the Australian Reptile Park join us live now in Somersby, New South Wales, along with that very special guest. Oh, he looks like he's anxious to bite, Billy. Tell me a bit more about the broad-headed snake.

[00:00:34]Yeah, so this is one of our adult females for the program. They don't get very big. They're unfortunately critically endangered, and without this project, they're literally going to disappear from the wild. So, we've just done the first release. We got six individuals out into the wild. Um, it's a massive milestone, and it's it's only the second ever release of a species of snake in Australia back to the wild for conservation. Why is it called a broad-headed snake? I've seen more broad-headed snakes, and it looks particularly aggressive.

[00:01:02]>> [laughter] >> For for her size, their heads are really broad, and they've got they're highly venomous. They've got a great set of fangs in there as well. And, um, as you can see here with Dylan Ragner, they're really, really defensive, and that's pretty typical for a smaller species of snake.

[00:01:17]>> Is it trying to mate?

[00:01:19]>> What what is it doing? What's it eating, everything? No, I don't think it's trying to mate with Dylan. It's, um, it's trying to eat Dylan. They're just they're just very defensive.

[00:01:27]Yeah, but, yeah, the the Aussie Ark project here, um, is is going really well. We we collected 20 founders. Um, Dylan's been heavily involved with the project over the last 2 years. And, um, yeah, that was the first release. So, um, absolutely massive, but we've still got a long journey ahead.

[00:01:43]>> All right. Well, I mean, Billy, needless to say, I'm very relieved you're there and not in the studio with that snake this morning, because it's a little bit scary for my liking. But, it's been endangered for a while, as you said.

[00:01:53]You've been working hard to conserve its species. Who What are its natural predators?

[00:02:00]So, they can get eaten by other snakes, monitor lizards, birds, and so on, but that's not really the problem. The problem is the bush rock has been removed from the sand. So, they're only found on sandstone cliffs in the Sydney basin that face to the west. And you know, you would have seen this growing up, sandstone edges around people's gardens, and so on. There's estimated up to 100 ton of rocks like this removed from the ridges. So, they've got no habitat left. So, we've been working with with one of the universities in constructing like a like a fake version of this to get it out of the ridges, but yeah, when you head out there, it's really disheartening cuz there's just none of the rock left. And that's been going on for at least 30 years that we know of and still happening now. So, we've got to get more habitat out there, try and get their numbers back up. They're really slow producing, they're a slow growing, they they don't do much, all right? So, but now we're coming into breeding season.

[00:02:50]This girl's already had a boyfriend recently. So, fingers crossed for next season. But you he didn't make it.

[00:02:56]And as is >> [laughter] >> as is the way in the animal kingdom.

[00:03:01]So, this must have been quite emotional for you guys as finally, you know, to to have done the successful breeding. And you know, that's an awesome thing.

[00:03:11]Yeah, Dylan Dylan, you answer that one cuz he's been the most involved with this, so Oh mate, the the program, I mean, it's been about, you know, talking about what we've lost and what the snakes have have lost, how they've been declining. So, to finally give back, words can't describe that at all, mate. It's been unreal. All right, if you get bit by one of those things, how long have you got?

[00:03:31]Oh, look, they're actually not as toxic as some of you know, some of the snakes that you know, Billy milks out of venom, but they do have a pretty nasty side effect. So, one of the main symptoms from a broad-headed snake could literally be bleeding out of your eyes and other orifices.

[00:03:45]It's not a pretty sight.

[00:03:47]IT JUST SHOWS how long you've got.

[00:03:49]>> [laughter] >> You probably still have quite a while.

[00:03:51]If you've got to be in it, YOU'VE GOT TO HOSPITAL.

[00:03:54]>> [laughter] >> YEAH. ARE YOU FOR REAL? YEAH.

[00:03:59]NO, I'M not joking.

[00:04:01]>> [laughter] >> Can you do it now?

[00:04:02]>> a few snakes Chris has inside.

[00:04:04]No, don't don't don't. He's [laughter] going to demonstrate for you.

[00:04:08]OH, BOYS. WELL DONE to you and the program. That's awesome to see. And that little thing, I can't wait to bleed out of my eyes.

[00:04:15]I mean, just to see it is a is a wonderful [laughter] thing. Thanks, guys.

[00:04:19]>> Thank you, guys.

[00:04:20]>> Congratulations, I think.

[00:04:21]>> Thanks, thanks for having us. So, next Halloween costume, you might have to have one of those [laughter] for mention.

[00:04:25]Sauras comes up and he goes, "I've just been bit by a snake."

[00:04:29]Why would you want Sauras in the mix?

[00:04:31]Because he's a dangerous No.

[00:04:33]You don't touch my precious Sauras. Stop it.