PAPUA NEW GUINEA SNAKEBITE PROJECT
A VIP VISITOR

Dave had brough a full vehicle. Apart from Christine and Owen, he was bringing Roseanne and Lydia back to spend a couple of nights on the station, and Owen's family for a quick visit. Owen's plans to stay had changed, he would return to Moresby and come back with me later in the week.

As luck would have it, driving towards Edevu Owen saw a Papuan taipan (Oxyuranus scutellatus canni) crossing the road and when Dave stopped he jumped out and caught it, so Christine saw her first wild Papuan taipan actually being captured for the programme she had come up to support and the antivenom trial she was initiating.

Dave and Owen catching the Papuan taipan, Oxyuranus scutelltus canni Photos: Christine Wright

Dave also brought out a snake from the Snek Haus for release, a New Guinea ground boa (Candoia aspera schmidti) which had been brought in from Edevu as a suspected death adder.

New Guinea ground boa Candoia aspera schmidti

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