Encountering a snake face to face may be many people’s nightmare.

Imagine bumping into one while you're shopping for groceries at your favourite grocery store.

What a ssssurprise!

An Australian woman experienced just that when she was out grocery shopping at a store in Sydney last Wednesday (18 August).

According to a report by the BBC News, Helaina Alati browsing through the spice shelf at the store when a three-meter long python slithered out.

"I just turned my head and he was about 20cm from my face, just looking straight at me," she was quoted as saying, adding that she had to do a double-take to make sure that it was a snake she was looking at.

As luck would have it, the 25-year-old is a wildlife rescuer and a trained snake handler, so she had no problem staying calm in the life-or-death situation.

She also instantly recognised the snake as a diamond python by the way it was protruding and flicked its tongue, which meant that it was not venomous.

Instead of feeling threatened, Alati said the snake was in distress.

"He was looking straight at me the whole time, almost like he was saying: 'Can you take me outside please?'" she told the news portal.

Alati then alerted the staff of the store about the python and informed them that she could help them take it out.

After the staff agreed -- can you imagine them saying no at this point? -- she went home and got a snake bag, returned to the store and prompted the snake into it.

She then released it away from houses in the bushland.

"To be honest, it's the most exciting thing that's happened in a little while given a lockdown. The staff were all taking photos of it."

Here's a video of the incident:

Well done, Ms Alati. We don't think we can stay as calm as you in this situation.