A GIANT boa constrictor snake has been found next to a UK primary school by a passing dog walker.
Shockingly, the walker discovered the reptile alive inside a lidded box in Withywood Park in south Bristol.
Park volunteer Kristie said she was accustomed to rescuing dogs but the snake was “probably the strangest thing we’ve ever seen in the park.”
The reptile was very cold and lethargic, Kirstie added that she thought the boa might have been dead when she first came across it.
Only when it lifted its head did she realise the snake was still alive.
Speaking to the BBC, she said: “I wasn’t worried about it being dangerous, it didn’t have the energy to do any harm.”
Kirstie believes someone abandoned the boa. “I understand people are struggling with the cost of living but I just wish people who are struggling to look after pets, would reach out,” she added.
Avon and Somerset Police rescued the reptile and handed it over to a reptile charity after a trip to the vet.
The cops said the snake could have died if it had been left in the box any longer.
This comes as a five-foot long boa constrictor was found slithering down a residential street in a UK town just weeks ago.
The snake had been on the loose since July and was recovered on September 22 when a worried neighbour saw the boa on the school run.
Resident Laura Jolly Yan from Hemel Hempstead, Hertfordshire, was alerted by a worried neighbour to the slithering surprise.
The 42-year-old said the street is often full of children and adults making their way to school.
A neighbour, Skyla, managed to coax the snake into a cardboard box before any damage was done.
In the wild, boa constrictors are native to Central and South America and are known for eating fish, small birds, monkeys and other reptiles.
To catch their food, the snakes wrap their body around prey and crush them until they are dead.
As they get larger, they can tackle bigger prey such as wild pigs.
They are popular among the staggering 700,000 snakes estimated to be kept as pets in the UK, according to the British Small Animal Veterinary Association.
If you come across a snake native to the UK, the RSPCA advises you to leave them undisturbed and contact the charity only if it appears sick or injured.
For a non-native snake the RSPCA said it is best to keep your distance and contact them.
