This is my first letter to a newspaper and I’d like to share an experience my family had this week.
A 195cm king brown snake decided to share our home environment with us.
Being a mother of three, the youngest 18 months old, this was a very frightening experience for me and my kids. We had several encounters with the snake and although it didn’t attempt to attack us at any of these, knowing that he wass around the verandah, entrance and veggie patch and one of the kids might step on him by mistake did not help us feel at ease.
Yesterday I saw the snake again lying on the entrance steps. Luckily, I called the Snakeman.
George, the Snakeman, has been devotedly ‘working’ in the shire for many years. He catches the snakes and removes them from houses and home environments. He does not get paid for what he does, but he takes what is known in Buddhist concept as Dhanna or donation. He is available 24 hours a day and risks his life continually, every day.
Up to now he’s removed more than 3000 brown snakes, coming to people’s aid. George was at our house in 20 minutes and removed the snake, which tried to attack him several times.
Unfortunately, as of next week, George’s services will not be available, as his car broke down. I trust this community will come together to enable him to keep supporting us in preventing unwanted encounters with poisonous snakes at our homes.
Also it seems reasonable to me that in an area like this which is infested with snakes and the local hospital does not carry any antivenom, a council that cares about the well being of its residents should employ or sponsor somebody like him.
If this is not the case, we can all make individual donations to help him get a new car, or maybe someone can contribute one to him. Yesterday we needed his help, tomorrow it could be anyone else.
Thank you George.
Romy Agam Rom, Mullumbimby
Thank you Romy. Just to set readers’ minds at rest, the Mullumbimby Hospital does indeed stock antivenom to treat most venemous snakebites and red back spider bites.
For four decades The Echo has printed the stories some people loved, some people hated, and some pretended not to read. If you want us to keep telling the truth, the real truth, not the sugar-coated version. We’ll need your support to keep the presses rolling. 
