Fears for Brisbane snake catcher couple as eastern brown attacks after it was ‘interrupted mating in a garden’

A well-known snake catcher is in hospital after being bitten by one of the world’s deadliest reptiles, while his wife has also been admitted after collapsing.

Tony Harrison, who runs Harrison’s Gold Coast and Brisbane Snake Catcher, was bitten by an eastern brown snake on Sunday afternoon after being called to a home in Stockleigh, Logan.

It is understood Mr Harrison had attempted to remove two brown snakes that were mating in the garden and live streamed the incident.

The snake catcher was rushed to hospital in stable but serious condition. His wife Brooke was also hospitalized but was not bitten.

“I was suffering from stomach and chest pain, exhaustion and stress so they administered it to me,” she said in an update on their company’s Facebook page.

Mrs Harrison said her husband’s blood levels were ‘showing signs of improvement’ and the poison in his system was ‘very low’.

“He has been advised to wait, which he is,” she said.

‘His kidneys have suffered damage which may require dialysis and he needs a CT scan to make sure there is no bleeding where there shouldn’t be.’

Mr Harrison had previously said he had endured a ‘tough 24 hours’.

“Things turned south at 1am. Brooke collapsed and was admitted at 5am,” he wrote on Monday morning.

“My blood is now turning for the better.”

The couple had been live-streaming the snake’s removal when Mr Harrison was suddenly bitten.

Mr Harrison had reportedly tried to remove two Eastern Brown snakes that were mating in a garden

Mr Harrison remains under treatment in hospital. His wife Brooke was also hospitalized after collapsing, but was not bitten by a snake

The images have now been removed.

The incident marks the second time Mr Harrison has been bitten by the venomous reptile.

He suffered a dry bite in late 2019 while trying to move a snake under an air conditioning unit in Pimpama.

“I saw that the hose had gone under the air conditioning unit, so I went to grab its tail, but it had turned around,” he told Sunrise in December 2019.

“So when I put my hand under it, the face was there waiting for me.

“I’m very aware of the possibilities, so I was scared, to say the least.”

Eastern brown snakes are one of Australia’s most venomous snakes.

Their venom is ranked as the second most venomous of all land snakes in the world, after another Australian resident, the domestic taipan.

Brown snakes can be found in every Australian state except Tasmania and are responsible for more deaths in the country than any other type of snake.