12/10/2026
🐍 A LOST BREDLI PYTHON, TWO YEARS LATER… AND A VERY HAPPY REUNION! ❤️
This is one of those stories that makes all the time and effort involved in wildlife rescue and reptile care worthwhile.
On 24 September, we shared a photo of a Bredli python that had been found in a vehicle’s engine bay in Riverwood after receiving a call from Campsie Police Station.
We posted the photo across local community pages, hoping to track down the snake’s owner. After several days without any luck, the snake was registered through WIRES and entered the usual process for surrendered and unclaimed reptiles.
As a long-term WIRES volunteer, I’m fortunate to be one of the people in the South Branch who can care for surrendered pet snakes while the appropriate processes are followed.
Normally, an unclaimed reptile is held for a period of time before National Parks or a relevant reptile society is contacted to begin the ballot process, where suitable people can express their interest in providing the animal with a home.
But this case took a very unexpected turn!
📞 A phone call that changed everything.
A man from the Riverwood area contacted me and began asking some very specific questions about the snake.
Did it have a scar along its body? Was there a mark on its nose? Were there particular patterns on its scales that weren’t visible in the photo we’d posted?
He also sent through photographs of his own.
As most snake keepers know, individual snakes can have distinctive markings, scars and patterns. As we compared the photographs and checked the details, things started to line up.
Then came the revelation: this snake had escaped from his home two years earlier!
I even received a call from a government agency supporting someone who lived on the same street. They recognised the circumstances and believed they knew which snake it belonged to.
Despite all the evidence, both the owner and I were understandably cautious. Two years had passed, he’d been overseas, and his reptile licence had lapsed. We needed to be certain before drawing any conclusions.
When he finally came to see the snake, the moment was incredible.
After checking everything over, he was amazed. This was his snake. His missing pet. And its name was Monty. ❤️
There was just one hurdle left. His licence had expired, so we asked him to contact National Parks, renew his licence and find out what needed to happen for Monty to be returned to him appropriately.
Over the following weeks, he worked through the process and got his licence renewed.
And yesterday afternoon, we were finally able to reunite Monty with his original owner!
Monty now has a fantastic enclosure waiting for him and the opportunity to spend the rest of his life with the person who had been missing him for two years.
🏡 Why this story means so much to me
I’ve been involved in hundreds of reptile surrenders over the years, and only a handful have resulted in finding the animal’s original owner.
Unfortunately, many pet reptiles are surrendered because their owners underestimate what’s involved in caring for them. The ongoing cost of food, electricity for heating and lighting, appropriate enclosures and the time required to provide proper care can become overwhelming.
Sometimes people also become nervous when a snake gets a little nippy or its behaviour changes.
But reptiles are living animals with specific needs. They deserve appropriate care, patience and a commitment that lasts for their entire lives.
That’s why Monty’s story is so special.
Instead of entering a new home through the usual rehoming process, he has been given the opportunity to return to the person who originally cared for him.
Two years is a long time to be missing a pet. I can only imagine how it must feel to have him back.
I’m genuinely so happy we were able to help make this reunion happen. 🐍❤️
A big thank you to everyone who shared our original post, helped spread the word and assisted in getting Monty back where he belongs.
And a reminder to anyone considering keeping a reptile: please research the commitment involved, maintain the appropriate licence and make sure you can provide for that animal throughout its life.
Every reptile deserves a chance at a good life. Sometimes, with a little luck and a lot of detective work, they even get to go home again.
Welcome home, Monty! ❤️🐍
