Python covered in over 500 ticks rescued from Australia swimming pool
A snake riddled with more than 500 blood-sucking ticks was rescued from a swimming pool in Australia.
Gold Coast and Brisbane Snake Catcher, a 24/7 pest control company based in Australia, took to Facebook to share photos of the poor creature, a carpet python nicknamed Nike.
"And you thought one tick was bad? Look at this poor carpet python from Coolangatta!" the post reads. "We arent [sic] sure how many ticks are on him but we will ask Currumbin Wildlife Hospital Foundation if they can count them when they remove them. Never in the 26 years of catching has tony ever seen something this bad."
Photos of the creature:
Gold Coast and Brisbane Snake Catchers founder Tony Harrison told the BBC that he believes the snake may have slithered into the swimming pool in an effort to try and drown the parasites.
"Obviously, [the snake] was extremely uncomfortable," Harrison, who described picking up the sick creature like "holding a bag of marbles," told the outlet. "It was like all the ticks were little balls moving in my hands.”
"Its whole face was swollen and blooming and it was completely overwhelmed by the ticks breeding on him," he added.
The pest control company took to Facebook again on Thursday to share an update on Nike's condition, saying that veterinarians had to work for hours to remove all of the visible ticks, which totaled 513.
"There are still tiny young ones under the scales that will be treated with drugs to kill them," the pest control experts wrote.
On Friday, the company shared a photo of the snake looking healthy and mostly tick-free.
"Nike looks so much better thanks to Currumbin Wildlife Hospital Foundation," it wrote.
Nike will reportedly remain in the care of rescuers until he is well enough to be released back into the wild.
