The story of the copperhead snake appearing out of a can of Johnny Walker may have caused quite the stir on Monday, but it may not be as unusual as people think.
Subscribe now for unlimited access.
$0/
(min cost $0)
or signup to continue reading
Snake Catcher Tasmania was called to Hagley to rescue the reptile, which was eventually cut free.
Reptile Rescue’s Ian Norton said snakes were often indirectly attracted to the contents of littered cans.
“It’s not so much that snakes want the juice or alcohol that was originally inside the can,” he said.
“What happens is that rodents often get into the cans first, and then snakes pick up their scent afterwards and go and investigate.
“The scales are not designed to be able to slide back out once they are inside.
“If they are not rescued from a can once they are inside, they will most likely die.”
There will be a community focus on the environmental impact of litter on Sunday as various groups take part in Clean Up Australia Day.
Plastic Free Launceston will be participating for the first time, having celebrated its one-year anniversary on Friday.
President Trish Haeusler said the group had a specific focus for the day.
“After we do a general clean up, we will be conducting an audit to see what is plastic,” Ms Haeusler said.
“We’ve also launched the Last Straw campaign at the beginning of March, which will be about reducing the use of straws in the community.
“Like plastic bottles, plastic bags, and coffee cups, they are items that are used for a short period of time and then discarded.”
More than 50 straws were collected along the Tamar River on Tuesday by organisations taking part in Business Clean Up Australia Day.
Representatives from Natural Resource Management North and City of Launceston council led a group of about 80 volunteers around different sections of the river.
The rubbish collected from the morning was sorted at Royal Park, with the efforts of the various crews recorded onto a national database, via marine debris initiative Tangaroa Blue.
While it was the first time NRM North had taken part in Business Clean Up Australia Day, the organisation’s Tamar Estuary and Esk Rivers Program has monitored different substances within the Tamar River and Lake Trevallyn.
TEER Program Scientific and Technical Coordinator Dr Toni Furlonge said Tuesday’s event aligned with the objectives of the program.
“Not only have we conducted research within the Tamar River and Lake Trevallyn, but we also held a World Rivers Day clean up event at Riverside last September,” she said.
“This was also registered through Tangaroa Blue.”
Clean Up Australia Day will be held on Sunday, March 4.