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Snake found on Qantas plane at Sydney airport, forcing delay | Snake found on Qantas plane at Sydney airport, forcing delay |
(about 1 hour later) | |
Qantas appears to have a snake problem. For the second time this year a snake has been found trying to hitch a lift on a plane, this time forcing hundreds of passengers to spend a night in a Sydney hotel instead of jetting off to Japan. | |
About an hour before the 9.30pm QF21 flight to Tokyo's Narita airport was due to board, a small snake was discovered in the plane's doorway. At just 20cm long the Mandarin rat snake was not a worthy foe of Samuel L. Jackson but, given that there could have been others on the plane, the 370 passengers were put up at a Sydney hotel overnight. | About an hour before the 9.30pm QF21 flight to Tokyo's Narita airport was due to board, a small snake was discovered in the plane's doorway. At just 20cm long the Mandarin rat snake was not a worthy foe of Samuel L. Jackson but, given that there could have been others on the plane, the 370 passengers were put up at a Sydney hotel overnight. |
"The snake was taken to quarantine to determine where it came from, and a replacement aircraft – a B747 – operated a replacement service to Narita this morning at 10.15," a spokeswoman told Guardian Australia. | "The snake was taken to quarantine to determine where it came from, and a replacement aircraft – a B747 – operated a replacement service to Narita this morning at 10.15," a spokeswoman told Guardian Australia. |
The Department of Agriculture, which looks after quarantine matters, told Guardian Australia the snake had been identified as a Mandarin rat snake commonly found in Asia. It had been euthanised "as exotic reptiles of this kind can harbour pests and diseases not present in Australia", a spokeswoman said. | The Department of Agriculture, which looks after quarantine matters, told Guardian Australia the snake had been identified as a Mandarin rat snake commonly found in Asia. It had been euthanised "as exotic reptiles of this kind can harbour pests and diseases not present in Australia", a spokeswoman said. |
She praised the Qantas staff for their actions. "This find demonstrates the important collaborative efforts of Department of Agriculture and airport staff in identifying and containing serious biosecurity risks." | She praised the Qantas staff for their actions. "This find demonstrates the important collaborative efforts of Department of Agriculture and airport staff in identifying and containing serious biosecurity risks." |
As to whether it was the only serpent on board, Qantas didn't take any chances. "They used another aircraft to operate that service and the existing B747 will be fumigated before re-entering service," the Qantas spokeswoman said. | As to whether it was the only serpent on board, Qantas didn't take any chances. "They used another aircraft to operate that service and the existing B747 will be fumigated before re-entering service," the Qantas spokeswoman said. |
She said she believed passengers had been made aware of the reason their flight was delayed. | She said she believed passengers had been made aware of the reason their flight was delayed. |
It's the second time this year a snake has been found on a Qantas flight. In January passengers watched in horror as a 3m scrub python clung to the wing of their plane for two hours during a flight before it met a grisly end. | It's the second time this year a snake has been found on a Qantas flight. In January passengers watched in horror as a 3m scrub python clung to the wing of their plane for two hours during a flight before it met a grisly end. |
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