A big black snake has been spotted roaming a woods in Swindon today (Sunday).
The pet was reportedly mistaken for a wild snake when it was found in a residential street, before being caught and ‘dumped’ in a nearby nature reserve.
The first known sighting of the five-foot-long Mexican black kingsnake, which is not venomous, was at Stanton Park back on 30 July – and it’s still out there.
In a post online, a woman shared photos of it and asked if other people had come across the snakes at the beauty spot before.
‘Just intrigued as I’ve never seen a snake in a country park before!’, she wrote.
Adding: ‘Me and my partner were having a walk around Stanton Woods this evening and this snake just come out on the path in front of us.
‘I was just wondering if anyone knows what type of snake it is and if anyone else has seen them around Stanton Park?’
In an update on the same post, she confirmed that the owner has been in touch and believes it to be her missing pet. But it remains on the ‘run’ now.
This evening, a man found the pet on the path at Stratton Woods – which is around one mile away from Stanton Park as the crow flies (or the snake slithers).
Mexican black kingsnakes kill their prey by constriction, tightening they body around the animal until it is no longer breathing. While it’s non-venomous, it does have a nasty bite.
Anyone who sees the missing snake is asked to contact Craig Frost via his Facebook profile.
