Man finds snake alive in brand new kitchen appliance
<p>When Barry Downes arrived home from his post-Christmas shopping, he was just looking to relax and have a cup of tea with the kettle he had just bought.</p>
<p>What he didn’t expect was something alive slithering out of the appliance box and into his kitchen.</p>
<p>Downes, from Paddington, London, purchased the kettle from department store Argos on December 28. </p>
<p>“I made a cup of tea and went to sit down to drink it,” said Downes. </p>
<p>“When I came back into the kitchen I spotted something on the floor.”</p>
<p>At first, Downes thought it was a piece of string or plastic packaging due to his sight problems. </p>
<p>“I picked it up to put it in the bin, but then it started wriggling.”</p>
<p>He then trapped the snake under a saucepan lid and called the RSPCA for assistance.</p>
<p>The RSPCA identified the reptile as a young corn snake. Animal collection officer Ella Davies, who collected the snake, said it might have snuck into the box at a storage warehouse in the country.</p>
<p>“Corn snakes are talented escape artists, so I suspect this little one has escaped from a vivarium somewhere,” said Davies.</p>
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<p>The unharmed snake will be transferred to a specialist centre before being relocated to a “proper” wildlife habitat.</p>
<p>An Argos spokesperson said, “We’re surprised to hear about this incident, and are investigating with the supplier.”</p>
<p>Meanwhile in Australia, a snake horrified shoppers as it <a href="https://www.oversixty.com.au/lifestyle/home-garden/my-worst-nightmare-woman-s-terrifying-discovery-in-shopping-centre-car-park">snuck into a car grill</a> in a shopping centre parking lot. Queensland also saw <a href="https://www.oversixty.com.au/health/caring/snake-bite-spike-9-people-hospitalised-in-one-day-after-increasing-number-of-attacks">nine people getting hospitalised for snake bites</a> in one night in December.</p>
