Animal expert hits out at snake owner
6:50pm Monday 6th October 2008 in Search Module By Julian Thorpe
A SNAKE expert has branded a pet owner “irresponsible” for releasing an eight-foot python.
The reptile was found by a shocked gardener when he mistook it for a fallen branch in his allotment.
Now Denise Frain, who runs the Reptile Rescue Den from her home in Cartmel Crescent, Bolton, is caring for the snake until it can be re-homed.
She said the animal had probably been set free by an irresponsible owner who no longer wanted to care for it.
And she warned the animal could have posed a danger to family pets such as cats or dogs.
The male Burmese python, a constrictor, is now suffering from mouth rot and pneumonia and has been put on a course of antibiotics.
Mrs Frain said: “It is just irresponsible. No animal should be released into the wild.
“He could be ill because he has been outside in the cold for a long time, or it could be due to poor care.”
The snake was found last Sunday by Ronnie Kenyon in his allotment in Blackburn.
The 58-year-old gardener said he thought the snake was a piece of wood, and he was about to pick it up when he realised his mistake.
He called the police, who came to collect the snake and notified the RSPCA.
When no-one came forward to claim ownership, the RSPCA passed the python to Mrs Frain.
Male Burmese pythons can grow up to 12ft long, while females can grow up to 20ft.
The snake is currently too ill to eat, but it will be fed on large rats and rabbits when it regains its appetite.
Mrs Frain said: “Hopefully he will get better and then we can find a new home for him.”
