Charlotte Smith, 31, came across the huge reptile, thought to be a type of python, while walking her dog at a popular beauty spot – and snapped images of the creature to appeal for potential owners
A dog walker was left horrified when she came across an enormous snake, thought to be a type of python, at a popular beauty spot over the weekend.
Charlotte Smith, 31, was alerted to the reptile by her mixed breed dog Ella, who found it and tried to roll on it as the pair walked through Bargoed Common in Wales on Saturday. She screamed and grabbed her dog before snapping images of the creature to appeal to any potential owners.
Charlotte estimated the snake to be around a metre and a half long. “I’m not scared of snakes at all but I’m very aware of adders as a dog walker so I screamed and grabbed my dog,” she said. “My mum who is terrified of snakes came over and asked what I was screaming about and then she was gone – running for the hills.”
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While it remains a mystery how the snake arrived on the common, Charlotte said it appeared likely that the creature had been dumped.
“It’s quite sad,” she said. “Initially I was looking at it thinking maybe it had gone into hibernation as my sister has snakes and I know they can do that if they get too cold. But then somebody who knows a lot about snakes went to collect it [and confirmed it was dead].”
She said the area was around three miles from the nearest home, and believes the snake couldn’t have made it there on its own in this weather. “Maybe in the summer if we were having a heatwave,” Charlotte said. “We walked there the day before and it wasn’t there or the dogs would have found it.”
In an effort to appeal to any potential owners who may be missing a snake, Charlotte shared images of it online. She said: “I shared it online in case someone had been burgled or an ex-partner had dumped it and so someone was missing a snake.
“Although I think what has probably happened is that the snake died at home and someone has thought it’s funny to put it up the mountain to scare people. The person who collected the snake was going to take it to the vet to see if it had a microchip but they said all they could do is dispose of it if they took it in.”
Charlotte said she reported her discovery to Gwent Police and the RSPCA. Although nothing could be done to save the snake she urged people to respect all animals and reptiles.
She said: “Anything that gets awareness out about this is important because if a puppy had been dumped people would care more. But because it’s a snake people think: ‘Eww I don’t care.'”