Wolfurt firefighters train to handle snakes and spiders
Monday 31st August 2026 on 13:45 in
Austria
Firefighters from Wolfurt in Vorarlberg trained to safely capture reptiles, scorpions and spiders, including a highly venomous cobra, at the Scheidegg Reptile Zoo, ORF reported.
The exercise covered how to behave and move when approaching animals. Under expert supervision, participants used special equipment to lift different snakes from the ground and place them in containers. A leopard gecko was also used to demonstrate differences in the appearance and behaviour of various species.
Firefighters may be called to rescue animals ranging from cows stuck in ditches to cats stranded on roofs or trees. Exotic pets can also escape from enclosures or terrariums and need to be recovered.
In July, firefighters in Wels, Upper Austria, searched an apartment building for a tarantula after its owner could no longer find it. In mid-August, residents discovered an Aesculapian snake in a stairwell in Bischofshofen, Salzburg. Firefighters captured the non-venomous snake and released it unharmed into the wild.
Vorarlberg firefighters have rescued animals 46 times this year, already matching the total for the whole of last year. The rescues have included cats stuck in trees and on roofs, as well as cattle, horses and a parrot found in a gutter. The state fire brigade association has no explanation for the increase.
Snake incidents are rare in Vorarlberg, but they have occurred. In May 2020, a grass snake wandered into a clothing shop. In October 2022, an abandoned constrictor snake was found at a waste transfer station in Nenzing.
The Wolfurt fire brigade has not yet dealt with an exotic animal emergency itself, but it wants to be prepared. Deputy commander Armin Schertler said firefighters were increasingly called to open doors, for example during medical emergencies, and often did not know what awaited them inside.
More than 110 people serve voluntarily and without pay in the Wolfurt fire brigade. They respond to around 130 incidents each year, including fires, floods, gas leaks and animal rescues such as removing squirrels trapped on building facades.