EVENING TELEGRAPH (Peterborough, UK) 28 July 07 Escaped snake lunged at shocked resident (Kirsty Nicolson)
One city resident got the shock of her life after spying a slippery customer in her back garden.
The woman, who lives in Gascoigne, Werrington, rang the police after spotting the 5ft long brown and black marked snake hiding in the bushes.
Police were called to the scene but the unwelcome visitor slithered off and evaded capture.
Residents living in the area are now being urged to look in their gardens and call police if they see the snake – which could be an escaped pet python or a grass snake.
The woman, who does not want to be named, said: “We think it has been living in the garden and eating our frogs.
“We saw it a few weeks ago and it wasn’t very long, but when we saw it this time it seemed to have grown.
“My mum initially saw it and it scared her half to death.”
She said she went hunting for it after her mother spotted it in the rockery area of her garden.
“I was kneeling down and didn’t realise it was in the bush at the same level as my head.
“It got a bit narky at that point and lunged at me. I think it was just warning me off, but I got the point.”
She said a local zoologist came round the house in a bid to identify the snake after she spotted it.
The snake had disappeared when he arrived, but he said it might be Asian in origin judging by a photograph she took on her mobile phone at about 10.30am on Thursday.
Jiva Modha, proprietor of Werrington Convenience Store, which is situated in nearby Hodgson Avenue, said he hadn’t heard about the incident. He said: “I am surprised.
“You don’t really hear about snakes being seen in this country, especially in Werrington.”
A spokesman for the RSPCA said some snakes can attack if they feel they have been cornered.
They added: “The best thing to do if you see one of these things is call us, or, in this case, the police.
“We do get reports of snakes from time-to-time. Often they are pets people cannot cope with or snakes which have escaped from tanks which are inadequate for them.”
- If you spot the Werrington snake, call the police on 0845 456 4564.
Escaped snake lunged at shocked resident