Man Finds 'Extremely Venomous' Snake Hiding In His Car During Shopping Trip

An Australian man on a post-holiday shopping trip found himself hitched to an unexpected hitchhiker.

According to Yahoo News, the man was walking to his car on December 27 after finishing shopping in Brisbane, Queensland, when he saw an eastern brown snake slithering under the hood of his car.

The snake species is “highly venomous,” according to Snake Catchers Brisbane & Gold Coast, a 24/7 snake removal service, which responded to a call about an eastern brown snake hiding in a car.

Because the owner of the car saw the snake getting under the hood, the man did not want to start the car and risked hurting or making the snake difficult. Instead, he contacted the experts at Snake Catchers Brisbane & Gold Coast to have the business send a handler to his car to catch and transport the reptile.

Related: Va. Man Narrowly Avoids Venomous Snake Bite After Finding Copperhead In His Washing Machine

“This Eastern Brown (highly venomous) snake has been moved to safety by snake catcher Luke, after being spotted in a car in Murarrie!” he wrote on Facebook about the incident.

The December 27 post also included two images of a snake. In both shots, a yellow-brown reptile peeks out from inside the car.

“It's very unusual for a snake to be found in a car, but it does happen,” Willow Sorbello of Snake Catchers Brisbane & Gold Coast told Yahoo News.

Never miss a story — sign up for PEOPLE's free daily newsletter to stay up-to-date on the best that PEOPLE has to offer, from celebrity stories to interesting people stories.

The expert believes that the reptile may have escaped from the car because it was a nearby place to hide and stay warm, but added that these snakes tend to “move quickly” after resting in the car.

Related: Snake Hidden In Bed Bites Woman While Cleaning Pillows: 'Leaves Teeth Marks'

According to the Australian Museum, the eastern brown snake is one of the most commonly encountered snakes in Australia because the species' “natural range” includes the most populated parts of the country.

A man from South Africa had an amazing encounter with his snake. In November, a man from Stellenbosch, South Africa, returned home to find a cobra curled up under the pillow of his bed. The technician also removed the snake from the case.

Read the original article on People