A snake found in main London scared walkers, who feared it had actually “left from the zoo”.
Chris Kutler, 59, stressed the Aesculapian snake – likewise called a rat snake – was missing out on from London Zoo after he found it close by.
The walker was out for a stroll on the Regent’s Canal towpath on Thursday (July 20) when his dog stopped to take a look at something in the turf. He was shocked to discover a dark grey snake – which the Chris said was “too huge” to be an adder or turf snake.
After calling a friend to help determine it, he was eased to discover that in spite of not being belonging to the UK the animals are not poisonous or aggressive.
Chris said the snake he saw was longer than a metre however they can mature to 2 metres and are among the biggest snakes discovered on the continent.
Chris, from London, said: “The dog stopped to look at something and I thought ‘what’s that?’ – and it was a snake. I thought it might be an adder or grass snake, but it was much too big for that.
“I realised I was next to the zoo and thought maybe it’s escaped from the zoo.
“I was quite mesmerised by it but didn’t know if it was poisonous. So I called a friend who knows about this kind of thing who said he thought it was a rat snake.”
Several other walkers have actually found the unique snake on the banks of the canal and feared it had actually originated from the zoo.
One walker tweeted the zoo: “Any opportunity of you have missing out on a snake? There is one on the side of the canal, north sidewalk, and individuals are stopping to take a look.”
London Zoo said the rat snake did not get away from the zoo and survives on the banks of the canal.
There are 3 nests of the snake situated in the UK – 2 in Wales and one on the banks of Regent’s Canal.
An RSPCA representative said: “There is a small population of non-native Aesculapian snakes in the Regent’s Park area of London. They are not venomous and if anyone sees them, it’s best to leave them alone and not try to pick them up.”
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