When Saira Ahmed heard her car making a strange noise, she feared it was a mechanical problem. But when she stopped and took a look, she was stunned to spot the head of a corn snake popping out of her car grille.
The car was parked outside Saira's home in Oldland Common when she first saw the snake, which can grow to up to 150cm.
She said: “When I started my car, I had been hearing this really weird noise like a screw had fallen out or something. I said to my partner Justin we need to get my car looked at.
“I went to Tesco in Keynsham, was there for about an hour and went home,” she said. Justin left the house as he was going out and then called her to come and have a look at her vehicle’s grille, where the corn snake was peeping out.
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“There was a tiny head sticking out, then it went back in. I was ready to go to a B&B for the night,” she said. A friend drove her car to a reptile shop, but the snake had disappeared.
“I left my car there and walked home. My partner said he would pick my car up and when he got there, there was the head again,” she said. She called the RSPCA, which suggested she call a mechanic, who said he was too scared of snakes to come out and look for the slithery reptile.
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“I went on to Facebook and found a lady who loves snakes. She came round with a dead mouse in a frozen packet, which she put on the grille,” said Saira. The snake moved out and on to the bonnet of her car where it was rescued.”
Saira had to phone work while she sorted the snake out, adding: “I thought no-one is going to believe me if I say there’s a snake in my car,” so she forwarded the video to her boss.
The person who helped was Sian Fish, who lives in Warmley, and whose son keeps snakes. She saw the plea for help on Facebook. She said: “We handle snakes daily and it’s about confidence. This snake was about two-and-a-half foot. Corn snakes are non-venomous and only generally bite if they are scared.”
She said they tempted the snake out, but then it slid back into the car. Sian said: “When it stuck it’s head out, it was probably looking for water as it’s been quite hot. When it ducked back in, we opened the bonnet of the car and I coaxed it out, grabbing the tail."
She said that corn snakes are generally kept as pets and it was likely the snake had escaped, or it may have been released if the owner could no longer afford to keep it. Sian said: “It’s not a British snake. Since the high energy costs in the run-up to Christmas, a lot of snakes are being released. It probably was in the engine for warmth.”
Her son is looking after the snake. She said if the owner is not found, they will continue to look after it.
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