Women snake catchers say humans are often the hard part

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Western Australian snake catcher Stefanie Lesser is well aware she doesn't fit the bill for what some folk think a pro snake wrangler should be.

The 42-year-old started her business back in 2023 at Bathurst, in the Central West of New South Wales, and still remembers vividly the reaction of this bloke she had a chat with on a job call.

"He reckons 'So when does your partner turn up? Fair dinkum, she shouldn't be doing this'," she said.

I was thinking, 'I'll just leave the snake for you', and then he said, 'No way, you can handle it.'

Professional snake capture

To be licensed to catch and release reptiles in NSW, you must be older than 18, have a first-aid certification, and public liability insurance plus a proven track record of working with reptiles.

Bridget Thomson was a self-described broke 21-year-old student who went on to do a reptile handling course at university.

"I reckon it'll be pretty handy livin' in Australia, seein' as we've got 40 per cent of the world's venomous snake species turnin' up here," she said.

But after I did the course, I fell head over heels.

Bridget established a business in the Northern Rivers area of New South Wales and spent seven years removing snakes from around the local community.

She reckons catchers have become more sought after and professional, partly due to the popularity of social media vids of snakes being snaughered.

I used to see snakes all the time, but it's still pretty unusual for a lot of people over here.

In a video, you might see a snake and there's no need to be too frightened.

The harsh reality of the job

While the capture itself's got its thrills, day-to-day life as a snake catcher can get right dull and erratic.

The amount of work depends on the number of call-outs, which are often unpredictable and can arrive without warning, at any time of the day or through the night.

During the peak summer months, Stef's had to top up her earnings by moonlighting as a dog walker and pet minder.

I know of a catcher in Sydney who had 1,500 snakes in the past year.

I was probably in the 250s, so it's not something you could do full-time here.

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"I got asked to go out to Macquarie Marshes, which is a five-hour drive away because no one else was keen to go," Stef said.

For Bridget, creatures like snakes are often the easy part of the job – it's the way of the human mob that can be a real challenge.

I've had a female colleague who wasn't sure if I was capable of catching snakes as a female – I copped nasty comments, saying I was charging for snake-catching because I was scared.

I've had people say, 'If you don't come and catch it, I'll go ahead and knock it on the head', which has guilt-tripped me into going out.

It's really disappointing to see people with such strong hate towards an animal that's as defenceless as can be – no legs, no ears, no eyelids.

Bridget persisted with her work, despite coming across some challenging individuals, until she transitioned into wildlife education two years ago.

"I felt a sense of responsibility to the community I belonged to — I felt like a protector," she said.

Misunderstood creatures

Fair dinkum, these women are driven by their passion for reptiles and a gut feelin' that people need to learn about coexistin' with 'em.

"[Snakes are] really underestimated … if [this job] was really hazardous, nobody would take it on," Stef said.

G'day mate, sometimes you're waitin' an hour and a half to catch an eastern brown snake from underneath a slab.

G'day, I've walked up, picked up the snakes, said thankyou and walked off.

Stef hopes her work can change people's attitudes towards snakes.

I've got families now where their young children are really interested in catching snakes – I've got a new snake catcher who'll be available to help in seven years when he turns 18, I reckon.

I'm chuffed by it. It gives me the flexibility to be out and about, and I can just pack up and go, grab a snake, and make a safe haven for it again.