A 10-Foot Python Hanging On A Tree By The Road Shocked UK Drivers

"I wasn’t expecting to see this stunning animal wrapped high up around tree branches in the English countryside!”

Damjan

• Published in Animal Stories
• September 30, 2021

A few days ago, a motorcyclist driving on a country lane in the UK had a surprising encounter. He saw a 10-foot-long snake slip across the road in front of him. A snake that long couldn’t be indigenous to the region, and he supposed it must have been abandoned.

He contacted the police, and since they weren’t equipped to deal with such situations, they called the RSPCA to help. Justin Stubbs, the RSPCA inspector, arrived quickly, but only to see the huge snake slithering away and taking refuge in the branches of a tall tree. It was evident that the snake was scared and trying to hide.

“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,'” Stubbs says. “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 had climbed to, difficulty gaining 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.”

The rescue was not easy. The team first had to cut and remove many branches to gain access to the branch the snake was wrapped around. Once they were able to safely reach the snake, they cut the branch, and the snake fell into a large sheet held by rescuers. Stubbs wrapped the snake in a duvet cover and immediately took it to the vet.

“The snake is about 10 [feet] long and a reticulated python,” Stubbs said. “We think he or she may have been loose for some time as they were cold and a little underweight. 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!”

The whole event was very exciting, and most of the participants believed that it was a once-in-a-lifetime experience. But they were proven wrong just four days later when another python was found in the same area as the first snake.

“I couldn’t believe it when the call came through to say there had been another found in almost exactly the same spot,” Stubbs says. “I’m afraid that’s no coincidence; it’s looking likely these poor animals were abandoned or have escaped from the same place.”

The python was rescued and quickly reunited with his friend. Luckily, its rescue went much smoother.

“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,” Stubbs said. “Both snakes are now being looked after at a specialist facility and are under heat lamps to maintain a healthy body temperature."

The RSPCA are happy they were able to help these snakes but also hoping that there are no more on the loose.

Damjan