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The Guardian - UK
The Guardian - UK
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Paul Rowley

An escaped 18ft python found its way into a Hampshire home – it’s more common than you think

Hampshire Paul Rowley Liverpool School of Tropical Medicine
An escaped 18ft-long python trying to enter a house in Chandler’s Ford, Hampshire.
An escaped 18ft-long python trying to enter a house in Chandler’s Ford, Hampshire. Photograph: Solent News & Photo Agency

Few things strike fear into the heart of the average person like big snakes. So, when an 18ft (5.5 metre) Burmese python found its way into the home of an unsuspecting family in Hampshire on Tuesday, I imagine the photos made for disturbing viewing.

I say “imagine” because I’ve always loved snakes – I keep 170 of the most deadly reptiles in my role as senior herpetologist at the Liverpool School of Tropical Medicine.

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