"Snakes are excellent escape artists and will take the opportunity of a gap in an enclosure door, or a loose-fitting lid to make a break for it" - Evie Button, RSPCA.

Owners urged to be extra vigilant as the weather warms up.

The RSPCA is warning snake owners to be extra-vigilant this summer after a ‘python’ was rescued from a chip shop in Greenwich.

When RSPCA animal rescue officer Adam Tasker arrived, he identified the stray snake as a juvenile corn snake. As there were lots of flats above the shop, he suspected that it was likely to be an escaped pet and was able to safely return it to his owner. 

Now, with more warm weather on the way, the charity is bracing itself for a rise in similar snake-related incidents.

RSPCA senior scientific officer Evie Button said: “Snakes are excellent escape artists and will take the opportunity of a gap in an enclosure door, or a loose-fitting lid to make a break for it.

“The RSPCA urges all pet snake owners to be extra vigilant at this time of year, invest in an enclosure suitable for the particular species and make sure that enclosure is kept secure - and locked if necessary - when unattended.”

In 2023, the RSPCA received 982 reports of stray snakes, with the highest number coming in during the summer months. The charity is also keen to help members of the public differentiate between active snakes, which may have escaped from their owner or have been abandoned.
 
Evie continued: “We received more than 907,000 calls to our emergency line in 2024, averaging 75,650 calls per month or one call every 32 seconds. Our frontline officers are flat out trying to rescue animals that may be in life-threatening situations. So a few extra minutes checking that your snake is secure could help save our officers’ time and allow them to save an animal that’s in danger.”

Image (C) RSPCA.