Snakes and Bird Netting

[gldancer]

Today I had to cut away some bird netting from a black snake that was entangled in it. The netting was over the top of the garden, but some of it was on the ground and this what the snake was in. My husband held the snake's head away from me as I cut and cut. She was finally somewhat free from the netting, but still had three areas still encircled by it. Not once did she try to bite, but was very patient with me.

It finally wiggled away from us. Strong!! I hope that the rest falls off her or I am going to have to find her to try to get the rest off.

So this is just a warning about netting left on the ground. I learned my lesson!

gloria in sunny hot hot hemlock hollow (everyone into the pool!)

[Sheldon]

What type of netting... sounds like you have the expanded polyethylene kind like they sell in the large hardware emporiums and typical garden nurseries, if you do get rid of it, cut it up into small bits first.

[Ann]

gldancer expounded:

I freed a robin yesterday that had got his toe twisted up in netting over blueberries at a client's garden. I heard a strange flapping and it took me a bit to figure out what was going on. He was frantic, made it quite difficult to do much, but then he went limp, so I gathered up the netting in one hand so he was hanging down below it and used my clippers to snip very close to the toe - I hope the bit that was wound around it falls off. He bolted the moment he was free.

[jangchub]

Aside from the ridiculous statement about killing ground hogs which has nothing to do with this subject, I have hope the world is honoring life. I thought I saw a bird today flapping on the ground so I stopped my car and waited. Actually, the birds were taking turns acting injured because there was a hawk overhead and they were diverting the attention back and fro.

I went home happy knowing it was okay.

[gldancer]

Yup, it sure was. Will never use it again. I learned my lesson. And be assured that I well definitely cut it into small pieces. I hope that snake sheds the remains with her skin. A beautiful snake with strong muscles.

[David Hare-Scott]

A friend of mine had to do the same task at the orchard where he worked. The snake got him a good one and so off he went to hospital to get the antivenine (sp?). As we have a number of highly dangerous snakes and the serum is specific to the type the doctor was keen to know what sort struck him. Friend said 'red-bellied black snake' the doctor said 'are you sure?' friend said that he was sure but the doctor was welcome to double check, the snake was in a bag in his car. The doctor took his word for it and gave hime the shot.

David

[Sheldon]

Why would there be any remains, if you left even one loop of plastic that snake may very well suffer a long painful death. Why didn't you remove all the plastic???

[Nanzi]

We cut 3 different snakes out of bird netting streched over our fish pond. One of the snakes went a few feet away and came back towards us and lifted up, staying that way for a few seconds then turned around and left quickly. None of them tried to bite us either. We now have a different fabric streched over the pond. The first one, our 20 yr old daughter saw when she had gone out for her last cigarette of the evening. She is terrified of snakes and hates them, but made us free it. DH is slightly afraid also, so he did the cutting of netting while I held it. Our JRT grabs them and shakes them into pieces. We discourage this, but damn is she fast. And a game little thing!! Nanzi

[gldancer]

I tried, but couldn't remove them before she slithered away. I will probably catch her again to try to take the rest off of her. This netting is very fine and may break with her slithering over the rocks. Like I said, I tried to remove every bit of netting that I could.

[FarmI]

Good heavens! I hope he has the sense to stay away from Tigers or Browns! I wouldn't tangle with a red bellied black either for that matter!

[dr-solo]

how to hold a bird still while working on it. I netted birds for years with an ornithologist (banding) and I have my own collection.

[Ann]

[e-mail] expounded:

Thank you! Hopefully I won't need it again, but it's good to be prepared.