A Scottish man walking his dog on a beach near Dundee was stunned to discover the body of a snake among the rocks.
James O'Donnell was walking pup Barney on Broughty Ferry beach on Monday morning when the dog became "excited" about something in the sand. Upon closer inspection, he realised that he was looking at the body of a large serpent, possibly a type of python.
He got Barney back on the lead, went in for a closer look and realised that the animal was dead. It is unclear how the snake come to be on the beach, and whether it had died beforehand, and Scottish SPCA investigators have been unable to find out more.
James said: "Earlier this morning I was walking my dog Barney on Broughty Ferry beach. My dog was off his lead and seemed to be very interested in something by the rocks.
"I went over to him as I thought it may be a dead animal and he was going to roll in it as dogs do. I initially thought it was just driftwood but as I got closer I could clearly see the distinctive shape and markings of a snake.
"I immediately got my dog on his lead, took some pictures and contacted the SSPCA and DCC [Dundee City Council] Environmental Services. It’s certainly not everyday you come across something like this on a Scottish beach."
Images of the snake show its distinctive markings as it sits among the rocks. Missing Pets Dundee and Angus, a Facebook group that helps reunite owners with lost pets, has suggested the animal may have washed up on the shore from elsewhere.
It said in a post: "[A] 10 foot python (we believe may be a Burmese) has been found deceased on Broughty Ferry beach and may well have been washed up. We have alerted SSPCA who have also received a prior call and officers are attending.
"Please avoid the area to allow officers to collect the poor snake."
Scottish SPCA animal rescue officer Abbey Hughes said: “On Monday 10 April we received a report to our helpline of a dead snake at Broughty Ferry beach. Unfortunately we could not find the animal on an initial search but, after later being provided with the what3words location, we returned to the beach and found the reptile.
“The body was of a large python which was sadly in a state of decomposition. It will be impossible to ascertain how long they have been there or the circumstances which led to their death.
“If anybody else should find themselves in a similar position where they have come across an exotic animal outside, we ask that they immediately call our animal helpline on 03000 999 999 for advice. If the animal is unfortunately found to be dead then this should be reported to the local authority.”
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