A six foot boa constrictor was found coughing up blood on a quiet country lane which the RSPCA fears is being used as a ‘dumping ground’ for unwanted pets.
The snake was discovered opposite a layby on the B5062 near Roden, Shropshire, last week.
The discovery came after a dead snake was found nearby, sparking fears the road is being used as place to abandon exotic pets.
Residents living in Roden have been left spooked by the news, with some concerned about letting their children outdoors.
One local wrote on social media: ‘Is it just me or is this freaking anybody else out? I don’t want live 6ft snakes slithering around the village.’
Another added: ‘This is literally the stuff of my nightmares. My skin is crawling just thinking about it.’
A third person said: ‘I’m concerned for my kids and dog. These animals can attack.’
Boa constrictors use their jaws – which are lined with hooked teeth – for grabbing and holding prey before squeezing them to the point of suffocation.
Boas are said to ‘eat almost anything’ they can catch in the wild – including birds, monkeys, and wild pigs.
They are non-venomous but their jaws can stretch wide enough to swallow large prey whole.
The RSPCA said they were contacted after the boa constrictor was discovered with a broken jaw by two drivers at around 4pm on Friday September 17.
The concerned passers by managed to safely block the creature in with their cars before calling the police, who then closed the road.
RSPCA inspector Claire Davey, along with the charity’s animal rescue officer Rachel Ward, who specialises in exotic animals, attended the scene.
The boa was bleeding from its jaw and was seen coughing up blood after it is believed to have been hit by a car.
The officers managed to safely contain the reptile in a large duvet cover using a specialist pole with a hook.
It was taken to a vets and given pain relief but died later that night.
The RSPCA thinks both reptiles were deliberately abandoned in the area and said they believe the country lane is being used as a place to dump unwanted pets.
Ms Davey said: ‘Normally when we get a call like this we find the snake has been misidentified and it’s actually a small native species, so we were very surprised when we arrived and saw a six-foot boa constrictor on the road.
‘It’s very sad that this beautiful creature’s life ended like this.
‘Sadly we think this snake was probably abandoned as it’s a very isolated location and there are no houses around for at least a mile.
‘The discovery of the body of another snake close by also leads us to believe that someone has deliberately left them.’
The inspector said that these sorts of incidents ‘are not unusual’.
‘We receive hundreds of calls every year relating to reptiles, and some of these have either escaped or may have been abandoned by their owners.
‘Sadly snakes and lizards often end up in our care as some owners don’t realise the commitment that is involved in meeting their needs.’
She said an adult boa constrictor can grow up to 13-feet long and live for over 20 years in captivity, ‘which is why we always urge people to do their research before taking on any exotic animal as a pet’.
It comes less than a month after two 10ft pythons were discovered in Cambridgeshire.
The first snake was spotted up a tree in the village of Conington on Friday August 30, in scenes reminiscent of the Jungle Book.
Firefighters had to chop down branches to get to the huge python, before it was safely caught and carried away in a tarpaulin.
The second snake was seen crossing a quiet country lane nearby a few days later.
RSPCA inspector Justin Stubbs said it as ‘no coincidence’ and the pair were likely abandoned.
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