Snakes cause panic on UK trains as 3-foot reptile found ‘lived in carriage for some time’ – scared police flee
Snake caused a panic after discovering that railroad workers had been living on the train.
When staff at the Selhurst depot in Croydon contacted the police, Found a slippery reptile – but when the police arrived, they got scared and “ran away”.
Officers called in reptile expert Gareth North. Mitcham Zoowho could Rescue the slithering beast.
Photographs show a three-foot snake crawling along the floor of a Southern Railway carriage that was traveling between London, Kent and Sussex.
Mr North told The Sun newspaper:
“The British Transport Police were scarier.
“They arrived, checked in, saw the snake and jumped out of the carriage.
“They contacted me, but by the time I got there, the snake had been retrieved in a bag by train workers.”
The corn snake is an elongated orange or brownish-yellow snake with a pattern of large black-rimmed red spots on its back that can grow up to 6 feet.
They are native to Southeastern and Central America and feed on mice and rats.
North believes the snake may have been abandoned by its owner and may have been on the train “for a while.”
he said: There are several possible reasons for this.
“The trains are warm and the heating inside the trains is on 24 hours a day.
“If it had been outdoors, it would have been too cold to die. It is not native to this country.
“It’s possible that someone threw it away, but it’s also possible that they ran away from their happy home and took a train while they were in the ground yard.
“In any case, you will find a warm place to stay.
“At this point, we can only assume it was dumped on the train. It actually happened.”
what to do if you see a snake
Advice from RSPCA –
If you come across a native English snake in your garden or in the wild, leave it alone.
There is no need to contact us unless your snake is injured or appears to be injured.
If you see an invasive snake, please keep your distance and call the advice line on 0300 1234 999.
North says there has been a surge in people abandoning or parting with their exotic pets due to the cost of living crisis.
He has to take in hundreds of animals a year because people can’t afford electricity or veterinary bills.
He explains:
“It’s dry, so it’s possible that you’ve been on the train for a long time. It’s difficult to tell.
“There are some man made scratches where I was trying to get through the heater grill on the floor.
“It must have stalled and tried to pull itself out.
“We will do a review in the next few days, after which he or she will probably NCRW – National Center for Reptile Welfare.
“It’s the only charity in the country that works with reptiles. We’re effectively the stopping point.”
Social media users were shocked when pictures of the snake were posted online, likening it to the Hollywood movie “Snake on a Plane.”
“It sounds like Samuel L. Jackson’s work,” joked one.
Another said, “I’ve seen snakes on planes, but I’ve never seen them on trains.”
A third added, “I hope he’s okay. Poor guy. It doesn’t work in the cold. He just wanted to keep warm.”
The Sun has reached out to Southern Rail and British Transport Police for comment.
https://www.thesun.co.uk/news/20786971/snake-on-southern-train-selhurst/ Snakes cause panic on UK trains as 3-foot reptile found ‘lived in carriage for some time’ – scared police flee
