Pushing a tennis ball out of a snake is a tricky, and gross, operation

While some people might not harbour much sympathy for snakes, even they'd feel bad for this python who swallowed a tennis ball.

Luckily, the snake was found in the backyard of a Queensland home in Australia, where it was able to get the ball removed. How? It was pushed back up it's body. And oh boy, it's as gross as it sounds.

Trish Prendergast, a snake handler, explained to ABC News that the would've starved if the ball hadn't been removed. "[The tennis ball] may have broken down over ... 12 to 18 months," she told the news outlet. "But in the meantime, the snake would not have been able to eat..."

Paraffin oil was used to lubricate the ball, and it took over 20 minutes for Prendergast to manipulate the snake and get the ball out of its body.

It's a tricky job, and one that can cause damage to the oesophagus if not performed correctly.

A video of the removal was posted on the Facebook page of Townsville Snakecatcher. Quite the sight.

The python will be given a few days to rest, then released back into the wild. Let's hope this little guy doesn't get into a one-sided game of fetch again.