A mother in Darlington, England, got a shock last week when what looked like a black hair accessory in her bathtub turned out to be a snake, according to The Northern Echo.
What happened?
Spotting the animal on her way to the bathroom, Harrowgate Hill mother Heather Duncan initially assumed the snake was something harmless.
In fact, the animal was a Mexican black kingsnake, a nonvenomous constrictor that is a common pet.
"I thought it was just a black scrunchie, but then I saw it had eyes and it was looking at me," Duncan recalled to The Northern Echo.
She continued, "I just panicked, I was terrified and I knew I needed to get it into a box. It was clever and it was trying to get the lid of the box open."
After calling reptile specialists at Richmond Exotics, Duncan learned the snake was likely someone's missing pet.
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A neighbor later identified it as Voodoo, who had gone missing in May.
Why does it matter?
Exotic animals kept by humans can end up in places where families do not expect them, creating stress and safety concerns for everyone involved.
Duncan said her 3-year-old son did not understand the danger.
"He wanted to play with it," she stated. "We had just been finding caterpillars in the garden the day before, and I think he thought this was a particularly big caterpillar."
The Northern Echo also reported two separate finds of 6-foot boa constrictors at Blackwell Grange Golf Club in Darlington in June. And a dog walker near Middleton Tyas also came across three ball pythons.
By taking proper care of pets and giving wildlife space, people can make sure that all animals, snakes or otherwise, stay safe.
What can I do?
If you come across a snake and do not know what species it is, keep your distance. Keep children and pets away, and call a rescue center or an exotic pet specialist rather than trying to handle it yourself.
Quick expert help can protect both the finder and the animal, especially when the snake may be injured or difficult to identify.
Exotic pet owners should double-check enclosures, lids, and escape points to reduce the chance of a pet getting loose.
Even nonvenomous snakes can trigger panic, and escaped pets can end up in drains, gardens, golf courses, or other shared spaces.
As for Duncan, she told The Northern Echo, "It was a massive relief knowing that it was someone's pet."
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