FAWNA volunteers were alerted by school staff and they were called to the school on December 20, 2017 where they removed 12 eggs from the vicinity. 

Later that same afternoon more eggs were discovered by students. 

The decision was made to close the sand pit for safety reasons so that volunteers could thoroughly remove the eggs. 

They identified the eggs as being brown snake eggs. 

FAWNA volunteer Yvette Attleir said after three days of digging they discovered seven nests and 43 eggs. 

She said the eggs were estimated to hatch within two weeks of the discovery. 

Yvette said the sand pit was the perfect place for the snakes to nest as the sand had recently just been laid. 

“The sand was still fresh and loose and would have provided the perfect place for snakes to regulate the eggs due to the temperature,” she said. 

The school’s sand pit backs on to a reserve and the FAWNA volunteers believe the eggs could have been laid by up to two brown snakes. 

Yvette said once the eggs are laid by the mother the baby snakes are then left to hatch independently. 

She said when the babies hatch they are already an inch long and can pose a threat to humans. 

All the eggs were carefully removed by volunteers.