Two pythons found loose in rural Devon were most likely deliberately abandoned, an animal expert has said.
One of the snakes was found by a man walking in Huntsham Wood near Tiverton last Friday.
He took it home and contacted staff at Tropiquaria Zoo in Somerset, who collected it and then found the second snake within 100 metres of where the first had been found.
The animals were identified as ball pythons, a nonvenomous constrictor species which is the smallest of the African python varieties.
Ball pythons are the second-most popular pet snake, partly because of their tendency to curl into a ball, rather than bite, when scared or stressed – but are not adapted to survive outdoors in the British climate.
They are not generally considered a risk to humans but could attack small pets.
One of the two snakes had to be euthanised due to severe head injuries, while the other appeared healthy but had scars from heater burns on its back.
Chris Moiser, the owner of Tropiquaria Zoo, told West Somerset Free Press: ‘This species is from sub-Saharan Africa, and to release them into the British countryside, particularly as autumn is coming on is a cruel and totally unnecessary act that would almost certainly lead to the slow death of the animals unless they were recovered quickly.
‘In view of the remote location where they were found, it seems likely there was no intention they should be found.
‘It is almost certainly a criminal offence under both the Animal Welfare Act, and the Wildlife and Countryside Act to release these animals under these circumstances.
‘We do not know if the owner just released these two, or if there are other reptiles still out there.’
Mr Moiser acknowledged that some pet owners may be struggling to keep up with the cost of energy needed to keep certain reptiles warm.
But he said abandoning them is ‘despicable’ as they can be rehomed in urgent circumstances.
He urged anyone thinking of abandoning reptiles to contact the National Centre for Reptile Welfare or other alternative organisations.
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