Snake in a lane: 12-foot yellow python rescued from residential street in Birmingham
5 September 2023, 17:34
Police officers in Birmingham dealt with a new scale of problem on Tuesday morning when they rescued a huge snake from a residential street.
Listen to this article
Loading audio...
Officers were called out to Harwood Street, West Bromwich in the north-west of the city at 1.30am to deal with an unusual issue.
Concerned locals had noticed a 12-foot yellow python slithering around on the road.
Usually, the RSPCA would be called out but their staff were not available.
So police stepped in and rescued the snake, getting it into their van "without too many slips and slides".
Officers then delivered the python to a veterinary hospital.
Read more: Snakes on a train: Commuter chaos after reptile spotted slithering through carriage
Some 200,000 snakes are thought to be kept in the UK, most of which are pythons or corn snakes bred in captivity.
Pythons can reach as long as 33 feet in length.
The police probably rescued a Burmese python, which can grow to around 16 feet in the wild.
Pythons are not venomous, but instead rely on constricting to capture and kill their prey. They tend to be scared of humans, although they can still be dangerous and should be treated with care.
Even though police dealt with this python, if you see a non-native snake in the UK, you should keep your distance and call the RSPCA on 0300 1234 999.
