Andrew Ward was non-plussed when a snake popped down from the rafters of his Central Coast home as he was on a Zoom call.
"The. Snake. Behind. You," a woman on the call said, as the snake curled down from the iron roof as Mr Ward was speaking on the verandah of his home.
"Oh my God," she said, hands pressed to her face in horror.
Mr Ward laughed and said: "It's only a carpet python, don't worry.
"We call them a rodent control officer. I don't have a name for it because snakes can't hear you anyway."
Mr Ward then continued with the call as the snake hung from the rafters.
"But, yeah, the snake's far more interesting ... what was I saying?" he said, with a grin.
Sydney boutique strategy consultancy The Strategy Group staff David Berigny and Alycia Wolf were interviewing Mr Ward at the time of the snake's surprise appearance.
The now viral video was part of a newly-launched podcast series, Fresh Perspectives.
The Strategy Group's managing director Dr Jeffrey Tobias said the "the cool, calm, and collected reaction of Andrew has everyone talking".
The podcast was leading up to the launch of the company's new AI offering - helping organisations use AI to grow and be more productive.
"In a world where AI now creates many visuals, it is fun to see a genuine reptile creep out from behind the rafters. And who would believe it would spark just so much interest?" Dr Tobias said.
Other reports suggested Mr Ward was in Boorowa, north-west of Canberra, at the time of the video, but he said he was at home on the Central Coast.
"The snake and I live on the Central Coast," he said.
When the Today show rang to interview him, Mr Ward was in Boorowa, working with local farmers, which is what created the confusion.
Mr Ward said he'd been contacted by multiple media outlets since the snake dropped in to say 'Hi'.
"I've been talking about serious environmental and agricultural issues forever but it's the snake who gets all the attention," he said, just a little disheartened.
If anything, the snake has drawn attention to his work with Regen Farmers Mutual.
In Boorowa, he was working with 10 farmers to collectively tackle issues such as fencing riparian zones, planting trees and managing feral animals.
"But the snake is far more interesting to most people," he said.
