MELBOURNE: A Virgin Australia flight was delayed for nearly two hours this week after an unexpected stowaway—a green tree snake—was discovered in the aircraft’s cargo hold. The incident occurred on Tuesday just as passengers were boarding Flight VA337 from Melbourne to Brisbane.
According to local snake catcher Mark Pelley, the 60-centimetre reptile was found in the lower hold of the plane. At first, due to the poor lighting, Pelley believed the snake might be venomous. “It wasn’t until after I caught the snake that I realised it wasn’t venomous,” he said. “Until that point, it looked very dangerous to me.”
The green tree snake is a non-venomous species native to Australia and is protected under wildlife laws. Despite being harmless, the animal sparked a delay while it was safely removed from the aircraft. Virgin Australia later confirmed that the snake had not entered the passenger cabin and the flight resumed after necessary checks.
Due to strict biosecurity regulations in Australia, the snake cannot be returned to the wild. It has since been handed over to a Melbourne-based veterinarian who will find it a new home with a licensed snake keeper.
Australia is home to many of the world’s most venomous snake species, and animal encounters in unusual places, such as airports and homes, are not uncommon. However, incidents onboard aircraft remain rare, making this a particularly unusual delay for domestic travellers.
