Dramatic footage has emerged of Queensland Police officers wrangling with a snake as onlookers crowd in around them.
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The chaotic scenes unfolded on the streets of Surfers Paradise on Saturday night, as a male police officer holds the end of a rogue carpet python while a female cop holds open a Hungry Jack's takeaway bag.
Initially she holds the bag off the ground, while the male officer attempts to put the reptile in there, but the snake turns away from the bag towards the police.
During the dramatic video, the male officer has one hand on the python, the other calling in for help (we assume) on the shoulder radio.
Eventually the bag is put on the ground as a third police officer arrives. The snake curls back up on itself towards the arm of the officer holding it.
The snake-wrangling cop quickly drops it. The reptile lands partly in the bag, before he tries to push the rest of it inside.
As the bag tears and the snake begins to get out, a voice in the crowd can be heard "they need a bigger bag".
After a video of the incident went viral online, a Queensland Police spokeswoman told ACM the snake had been run over by a vehicle. An unknown male then picked it up and left it under the Surfers Paradise sign near the beach on the Esplanade.
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Officers were called to the scene due to the large crowd of people around the reptile.
"Police unfortunately did not have their snake catcher kit with them, and when asked if anyone had a bag - a paper bag was the only one that could be provided," she said.
"Police unsuccessfully tried to place the bag over the snakes head. Fortunately, another member of the public then removed their dog from its carrier and the snake was placed into the dog carrier and taken back to Surfers Paradise Police Station."
The python was collected by the Reptile Rehabilitation Qld, but snake catcher Tim Hudson said it has since been euthanised.
"Thanks to Surfers Paradise Police for retrieving this injured animal," he posted to his Facebook page Hudson Snake Catching - Gold Coast Snake Catcher.
"We had to take this poor bloke in to animal emergency for euthanasia."
Nadine Morton
I report on crime, emergency services and police matters. Email me on nadine.morton@austcommunitymedia.com.au
