The staff and customers at Jindabyne Bowling Club were surprised to see a brown snake slither up to the bar at lunchtime on Sunday (10 January).
A video on social media showed anxious patrons gathering around the snake as it moved towards a table and chairs near the bar.
Michael Jamieson was behind the camera and said no one knew exactly how the snake got into the club. Some patrons suggested it crawled under the door, while others questioned how it wriggled its way to the bar from the front door without anyone noticing.
Michael said an older male patron took the situation into his hands by pinning the snake with a barstool before picking it up and placing it in a bin.
Another patron then carried the snake in the bin out of the club.
Michael said the snake was unharmed and was happily set free by Lake Jindabyne.
Brown snakes are one of Australia’s most dangerous snakes, known for their bad temper, and are responsible for more deaths each year than any other. Australians are used to seeing brown snakes outside in paddocks and near dams during summer, but rarely inside their own watering hole.
However, everyone inside the club was able to see the funny side once the snake had been removed.
Michael wondered if the snake had completed the club’s COVID-19 check-in, while a Facebook commenter said the snake should have been cut off because it was legless!