Tiger snake makes itself comfortable in backpacker’s sleeping bag

German backpacker Heidi Schlickenbocker is in for a surprise when she snuggles up in her sleeping bag tonight, with a friendly local tiger snake having decided to keep her company for the evening.

Schlickenbocker, 23, is camping at Wilson’s Prom, a few hours southeast of Melbourne. Over the past two months she’s been exploring rural Australia, posting regular updates on Instagram about how she is “so much in love with this country’s beautiful nature!” Unfortunately, she’s also about to become intimately acquainted with its emergency medical system.

“I don’t think Australian animals are so scary at all!” Schlickenbocker told The Tragic Traveller, completely unaware that the world’s 10th-most venomous snake was currently unwinding – literally – in her sleeping bag. “You shouldn’t worry about coming here at all!” she added, beaming.

UPDATE: The Tragic Traveller can report that, just seconds before entering her tent and coming fang-to-fang with the killer, Schlickenbocker was saved by a true Aussie miracle. The gum tree Schlickenbocker had stupidly decided to camp under dropped one of its branches for, like, no reason. The 700-kilo branch sent Schlickenbocker’s tent to Destination Fucked, crushing the tiger snake in the process.

Thankfully, neither Schlickenbocker nor her esky full of Baccardi Breezers were injured in the incident.