Press: Stay calm call as sightings of snakes rise

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: MIDLANDS EXPRESS & STAR (Wolverhampton, UK) 18 July 02 Stay calm call as sightings of snakes rise (Peter Carroll) : The recent hot weather has led to an increase in snake sightings in Midland gardens, according to the RSPCA. : But snake populations in the Wyre Forest remain low, with adder levels a particular cause for concern. : The RSPCA said its regional call centre in Shropshire was receiving inquiries on a daily basis from people who had seen reptiles. : Snakes are at their liveliest at this time of year and many venture into gardens in search of food, such as frogs, toads or fish from ponds. : They can often get stuck in netting used to cover ponds, fruit or vegetables and gardeners have been warned to take care when checking netting. : The organisation is urging people not to panic if they spot a snake. : RSPCA wildlife head Rob Atkinson said: "If someone finds a snake they should stay calm and not touch it. There is no need to be scared because if left alone, they will go away. : "They should be more frightened of humans than we are of them." : Adder expert Sylvia Sheldon, who lives in the Wyre Forest, said levels were down to a few dozen in the forest. : "They have been going down and down in recent years and we don't really know why. There is only one colony in the forest where numbers are holding up. : "Elsewhere in the forest and at other sites such as Habberley Valley, Kinver Edge and the Malvern Hills, levels are declining." : She added that the venomous snakes were very timid creatures and would only attack if provoked. : In contrast Mrs Sheldon, has been monitoring Wyre Forest's snakes for several years, found 267 adders in 1991. : Adders face danger from predatory birds as well as disease and are often attacked by people who are needlessly frightened of them. :

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