The Peterborough Evening Telegraph
Snakes alive... in a tree near Sawtry!
Two huge 10ft pythons have been caught by RSPCA inspectors near Peterborough in the space of a few days.
A motorcyclist was driving down a quiet country lane in Conington, near Sawtry, on Friday afternoon (August 27) when he saw the large reptile slithering across the road in front of him.
He initially called the police, who then contacted the RSPCA for help.
RSPCA inspector Justin Stubbs went to the scene, when he arrived he saw the snake had climbed up and into a nearby tree for safety.
Justin said: “I really could not believe it when I got there and saw this huge snake all the way up in the tree – it was a scene a bit reminiscent of the Jungle Book! When I saw the snake so high up in the branches I knew it was going to be tricky to get him down due to the height the snake hadclimbedto,difficultygaining access to him, and the need for more people given the size of the snake. I contacted Cambridgeshire Fire and Rescue Service and they kindly came out to help me.
“I’ve rescued hundreds of animals from trees over my 25 years with the RSPCA, cats, birds, foxes, and I’ve been called to many snakes, but I wasn’t expecting to see this stunning animal wrapped high up around tree branches in the English countryside!”
Inspectors were then stunned when called to rescue a second ten-foot long python.
The second reticulated python was spotted on Monday (August 30) crossing the lane in Conington, just yards away from where the first one was found.
RSPCA Inspector Justin Stubbs said: “Having rescued last Friday’s python, I couldn’t believe it when the call came through to say there had been another found in almost exactly the same spot. I’m afraid that’s no coincidence; it’s looking likely these poor animals were abandoned, or have escaped from the same place.
“This second snake was extremely cold when he was found, very much thinner than the first python, which is suffering from a minor health condition. Both snakes are now being looked after at a specialist facility and are under heat lamps to maintain a healthy body temperature.
“It is really concerning to think that someone has kept these pythons, then might have decided to abandon them in this cruel and callous way.
I only hope that there are no more on the loose out there. As well as the dangers of low temperatures, harvesting in the nearby fields could pose a real hazard to any snakes left out there. We are now renewing our appeal for information and are extremely keen that anyone with any information about this gets in touch with us on the inspectorate appeal line on 0300 123 8018.”
Justin is urging people in the area to stay vigilant in case there are more vulnerable snakes found in the same spot.
Justin added: “Unfortunately, this sort of thing isn’t unusual and we receive thousands of calls a year relating to reptiles, like snakes and lizards, who have either escaped or many of which have been abandoned by their owners.”
Snakes aren’t able to produce their own body heat so they rely on their environment to maintain their body temperature. If snakes become too cold they may be unable to feed or move normally, and their immune system will not work properly to fight disease.