A 2-meter diamond python startled Newcastle commuters on Feb. 18, 2026, near a McDonald’s, sparking a search that ended without recovery.

A large diamond python, over two meters long, startled Newcastle commuters on February 18, 2026, when it was filmed moving through a median strip near a McDonald’s on King Street around 9:30 a.m. Snake catcher Bronte Hillen responded after receiving video footage, noting the area’s storm drains and food waste may attract rodents, drawing the snake. Despite searching nearby areas, she couldn’t locate it, attributing its disappearance to warm weather activity. Hillen dismissed claims it was a lost pet from Cardiff, stating the missing snake was a different species, and urged the public to report sightings for safe relocation.