An 18ft ‘monster’ python was found in the Lincolnshire countryside along with three others after they were abandoned by their owner.
A fifth snake could still be on the loose, say police, with people in the areaurged to be vigilant and keep dogs on a lead.
The 18ft python and one measuring 14ft were discovered on Friday in the village of Manton, while two more around 11ft long were found some three miles away in Twigmore Woods on Saturday.
All four are reticulated pythons, the world’s largest type of snake and native to South East Asia. They’re non venomous but can squeeze the life out of its prey.
However, RSG Reptiles in Alford, who rescued the snakes, and Humberside Police said the animals will generally only attack if they feel threatened.
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Officers from Humberside Police’s Rural Task Force are now investigating potential offences under the Wildlife and Countryside Act 1981.
Rob Stokes, owner of RSG Reptiles, told Metro he got a call from fellow reptile experts, Exotic to the World in Cleethorpes, to say a ‘big’ wild type brown python had been found on the loose and that it was too large to home in their facility.
‘They didn’t say how big exactly, so when I arrived I was shocked. It’s 18ft – a monster! Not what you expect to see in the English countryside.’
He said a member of the public had come across it outside a converted church.
Rob put the brown-coloured snake, which he says he’s nicknamed ‘Titch’, in his van and was on the drive back to the RSG Reptiles centre, when he got a call that another python had just been found in the same area.
So, after a quick U-turn he headed back to pick up a 14ft albino snake that the person who found it had managed to put in an empty bin.
“I took them both back and we gave them a bath as they were covered in parasitic mites – which in the snake-owning world is a bit like your dog getting fleas.”
The following morning Rob got another call from Exotic to the World to say a man had found a third python, believed to be a pied golden child morph, in Tigmore Woods.
‘Thankfully, this guy had handled snakes before, so he wrapped it in a duvet, which is fine to do, until we got there.’
After putting the python safely in the van, and searching the area for any more snakes, Owen and his 15-year-old son George decided to head to Manson – where the first two were found – and do another sweep there.
Within an hour, Owen spotted a fourth python – a second albino.
‘We were about to leave and I looked in the hedgerow and saw this bright yellow and white snake,’ she said.
All four pythons are now safe at RSG’s facility, which rescues reptiles and offers educational animal encounters.
‘For now we have to treat them like evidence for the police, because the incident is being investigated. So they’ll stay with us until there’s either a prosecution or if there’s no further action from the police.
‘After that they’ll either move to suitable homes or stay with us, and potentially become part of the animal encounters we do.’
Rob says it’s sad that the owner abandoned the animals instead of reaching out for help.
‘We understand people’s lives can change in a flash, leaving them struggling to look after their pets, but all they’ve got to do is call us, or their local exotic pet shop or the RSPCA and we’ll take them and make sure they have good homes.’
He says it’s unclear whether there still is a snake on the loose.
‘There was reports of another, but there’s a chance it could be one of the ones we already have. However, I’d advise people in the areas they were found to keep their dogs on leads.
‘These snakes are used to humans, and unlikely to harm anyone unless threatened, but there is still an element of risk, especially to dogs and small animals, so be vigilant.’
Humberside Police, meanwhile, has warned the public not to approach any snakes found in the wild and to call 101 immediately with a precise location.
They also appealed for information about how the snakes were released and reminded the public not to dump unwanted exotic animals.
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