A Scottish granny showed no fear when an exotic-looking snake showed up in her back garden and spooked her dog.
Jean Campbell had been trying to usher her cockapoo Poppy back inside her home in Cardonald, Glasgow, when she noticed the unusual visitor on the doorstep.
The six-year-old dog was yelping and refusing to come nearer.
Jean, 71, told GlasgowLive: ‘[The snake] was just sitting there doing not very much.
‘It looked strange and as if it had fallen out of the sky because there was nobody there. I’ve never seen any sign of it before so it was a bit of a shock.
‘It was shaking and I thought the poor thing was traumatised but I wasn’t going to pick it up with my hands.’
She used a stick to manoeuvre the slithery creature into a Tupperware tub, before calling the Scottish SPCA to come and take it away from her property.
Luckily for Jean and Poppy, animal rescue officer Lorraine McNeill identified it as a corn snake – a popular pet, as they’re completely harmless, easy to take care of and don’t grow too large.
Jean, who said she was once bitten by a grass snake, added: ‘It’s not the sort of thing you’d expect to find in your garden.
‘It’s a lovely snake and the colours and markings were fabulous, it was very exotic.
‘I thought it must’ve come from somewhere nearby. Hopefully it will get back home.’
The snake was taken to the Lanarkshire Animal Rescue and Rehoming Centre, where a vet examination confirmed it was in good health.
Lorraine, the SSPCA animal rescue officer, said: ‘The snake is small and orange with typical corn snake markings.
‘If anybody has any information about this reptile then we ask that they please call our confidential animal helpline on 03000 999 999.’
She said if anyone else in Scotland comes across an exotic animal in their garden, they should do what Jean did and ‘immediately call our animal helpline’.
Depending on the size of the animal, it could be kept in a box until the officers arrive, but Lorraine emphasised: ‘We ask that all individuals first consider their own safety and take the advice of our helpline operatives before attempting this.’
Last October, a woman in Essex had an even more shocking encounter with a corn snake, when she saw one slithering through her open window as she woke up from a nap.
Get in touch with our news team by emailing us at webnews@metro.co.uk.
For more stories like this, check our news page.
from News – Metro https://ift.tt/MBh6id1
0 Comments