SOUTHERN DAILY ECHO (Southampton, UK) 30 July 08 Snakes alive (Lucy Clark)
Southampton: First one snake gets stuck in the car, then the police are called IT was a far cry from your average walk with your pets in the park.
When Danny Palmer decided to take his beloved animals on a day trip to Southampton Common it was not surprising that he caused quite a stir - they are enormous slithering snakes.
Families enjoying a day out, joggers and walkers all looked on in shock as Jack the 12ft albino Burmese python, who weighs in at a hefty seven stone, and Molly the four-foot Boa constrictor were taken across the park.
The snakes were wrapped around the bodies of Danny and his younger sister Kaya who had taken them by car for the trip.
Before they even managed to get out of the car park at the Cowherds pub, the snakes had already caused their first problem - when one got stuck in Danny's Ford Fiesta boot and the fire brigade had to be called.
Jack had squeezed through a two-inch gap in the boot next to the car's rear lights and got half its body entangled in the bodywork.
The fire service's animal rescue specialists Jim Green and Anton Phillips attended the call. Jim told the Daily Echo: "It's not something we come across very often, that's for sure. About 2ft of the snake had disappeared into the car's bodywork and the rest was in the boot. It looked like there was no way we would be able to get him out."
Jim added: "We were discussing what special equipment to bring in, because it looked like we might have to take the entire car apart, when the snake started to back out and freed himself."
Unemployed Danny, who lives in Millbrook, then continued his walk across the Common but it was not long before worried passers-by called police.
Officers ordered Danny to remove the snakes and take them home.
Danny said: "I wanted to let them on the grass on the Common where there's lots of space. It's the first time I've done it - I normally just let them outside the house.
"The police came and moved us on so I won't be taking them there again."
Snakes alive