When Monty’s family suddenly noticed her eating something strange, they were confused at first, until they recognized the end of a beach towel sticking out of the snake’s mouth — and realized she had somehow swallowed the entire thing.
Small Animal Specialist Hospital
Knowing she needed help, Monty’s family took her to Small Animal Specialist Hospital (SASH) in Australia, and the team there quickly sprang into action to figure out how to get the beach towel out of the apparently very hungry snake.
Small Animal Specialist Hospital
“She was definitely unwell, and was swollen and distended,” Bec Moss, the marketing coordinator at SASH, told The Dodo. “This was literally a life-saving procedure. If we had not been able to remove the towel, Monty would not have survived.”
First, the team took X-rays to determine exactly where the towel started and ended inside Monty. Then they placed a flexible endoscope down Monty’s gastrointestinal tract, so they could see the towel as they tried to remove it.
Small Animal Specialist Hospital
Using the endoscope as a guide, the team gently began pulling …
Small Animal Specialist Hospital
… until finally, the very large towel was out of Monty completely.
Small Animal Specialist Hospital
“It was quite a lengthy procedure,” Moss said.
Small Animal Specialist Hospital
Once the towel was finally out, the team couldn’t help but marvel at how big it was, and how Monty had managed to fit it in her slim body. Luckily, the mischievous snake recovered well from her ordeal, and will hopefully stick to eating real food in the future instead of beach accessories.
Check out the full video of this rescue below: