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Posted by W von Papineäu on November 28, 2002 at 15:36:18:
In Reply to: Press: Binmen's Snake Find posted by W von Papineäu on November 28, 2002 at 15:00:03:
PRESS & JOURNAL (Aberdeen, UK) 27 November 02 Snake's Alive! (Kelly Gribble)
Astonished Aberdeen binmen came across a real slippery character during their morning rounds.
Three council workers got the shock of their lives when they found a milk snake wriggling along a pavement in Rosemount.
It was not exactly the sort of "rubbish" they were expecting to collect at 7.30am last Friday.
The stunned workers managed to get the 20in snake into a cardboard box and took it off to their Kittybrewster depot.
And the reptile should feel very much at home in the council maintenance workshop.
Because the striking red and black milk snake will share it with other, odd, household pets which have been discarded by heartless owners.
Area officer for environmental services Graeme McKay said: "The boys were quite shocked when they found it. We've found quite a lot of unusual things but this is one of the strangest.
"A few people thought we were joking when I told them about it."
Some of the other unusual finds over recent months include:
A white rat found in the Hilton area by workers who were clearing leaves.
A corn snake that was found in a bin room in the Seaton area. It was 20in when it was found 18 months ago and it's now four feet long.
A tank of cold water fish stranded in a house in Seaton. The family had flitted and left their fish behind.
Maintenance engineer Jim Coutts looks after the animals with two other colleagues.
He said: "I think the problem is getting worse with people abandoning animals.
"Sometimes parents are buying their children pets on the understanding that they will look after them.
"But if they see they don't take care of the animals, some parents decide to dump them."
However, Roland Digby, owner of exotic pets shop Bug-u-Like, said: "I actually think it's very unlikely the snake has been dumped.
"It has probably escaped. The first place I'd look for an escaped snake is in the bins because they go there looking for food and warmth."
Inspector Alison Adam, of the Scottish Society for the Protection of Cruelty to Animals, said: "It's very unusual for us to find snakes out in the street.
"If we do get strays they tend to be in houses."
Anyone who has any information on the owner of the snake can contact the SSPCA on (01224) 581236.
