Terrifying moment eastern brown snake bares its fangs and attacks handler sent to deal with it

This is the nerve-racking moment a snake handler finds himself chased by the serpent he was called to catch. 

Tony Harrison, 52, from Queensland, Australia, was hired to deal with an eastern brown snake – one of the world’s most venomous reptiles. 

And this particular snake was in no mood to be trifled with – it had already been chased by dogs, leaving it very defensive. 

Video footage shows the creature racing towards Mr Harrison with its head raised, its mouth open and its fangs bared. 

Mr Harrison said: ‘The eastern brown is the second most toxic land animal on the planet. 

Tony Harrison, 52, from Queensland, Australia, was hired to deal with an eastern brown snake – one of the world’s most venomous reptiles. And this particular snake was in no mood to be trifled with – it had already been chased by dogs, leaving it very defensive

‘It’s responsible for the majority of bites in Australia. If you get bitten and don’t go to hospital it would more than likely result in death.’ 

He continued: ‘This behaviour is not typical. It was chased by dogs, then me, then grabbed by me so it was very upset. 

‘I just tailed it, dropped it in the bag and released it.’ 

Mr Harrison said: ‘The eastern brown is the second most toxic land animal on the planet’

According to the University of Melbourne, the eastern brown is responsible for more than half of all serious snake bites in Australia and over 60 per cent of the country’s snakebite-related deaths. 

They’re known for being highly strung and will not hesitate to bite defensively if they feel threatened. 

However, Mr Harrison thinks their reputation is undeserved. 

‘With hospital treatment, one day later you would be back at it,’ he said. 

‘I never deal with aggression from the snakes, but I do deal with aggression every day from the humans I see. 

According to the University of Melbourne, the eastern brown is responsible for more than half of all serious snake bites in Australia and over 60 per cent of the country’s snakebite-related deaths

‘This is defence, not aggression, because we are removing snakes that don’t want to be touched. 

‘On a daily basis we are told an animal has already had humans, dogs, cars and so on give it s***, so it’s feeling very scared and vulnerable, and it does not want to die. 

‘So it defends itself with all its power.’ 

He continued: ‘To keep it in perspective, here in Australia dogs kill five people a year, horses 20 and snakes two. 

‘Yet snakes have the bad reputation, go figure.’ 

Tony collected the eastern brown snake on Saturday in Pimpama, a suburb of the City of Gold Coast.