BRISBANE, Australia  —  A snake was saved by surgery in Australia after mistaking four golf balls for a meal of chicken eggs, a veterinarian said Wednesday.

A couple had placed the balls in their chicken coop in New South Wales state to encourage their hen to nest, the Australian Associated Press reported.

The balls disappeared, and the couple found a lumpy-looking carpet python nearby.

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They took the 32-inch non-venomous snake to the nearby Currumbin Wildlife Sanctuary, where senior veterinarian Michael Pyne operated to remove the balls from the snake's intestine.

The snake was making a speedy recovery, Pyne said.

"Those golf balls weren't moving any further. They were stuck where they were," Pyne said. "If it hadn't been found, it would have died for sure."