CLOSE ENCOUNTER: Year 7 student Caitlyn Pritchard comes to grips with the wildlife.
BALLARAT school students have had a close encounter with some deadly Australians.
Happily, no one was harmed – although they did hear some great stories.
Damascus College last week held an event for students to learn the secrets of the venomous wildlife that inhabit our backyards, bush, beaches and sea.
Marc Dorse, from the Deadly Australians educational awareness program, brought along a series of live and preserved exhibits, including an inland taipan – the world’s most poisonous snake.
Science teacher David Neate said Mr Dorse had an impressive display of wildlife to represent the Australia’s reputation as a home of venomous creatures.
“Some were preserved, like the sea snake, red-backed spider and funnel-web spider, and some were very alive, like the brown snake, tiger snake and inland taipan,” he said.
Mr Neate said year seven students were kept spellbound by Mr Dorse, who recounted being bitten by a snake, biting off its head in revenge and surviving to tell the tale.
“Marc Dorse brought out the extensive knowledge of the natural world. Our students will be treating wildlife with much more respect after the session,” he said.