Carpet pythons found abandoned in cardboard box on Doncaster roadside

Two carpet pythons have been found abandoned in a cardboard box on a roadside near Doncaster.

A council worker discovered the snakes in Austerfield on Thursday 3 August and took them to the RSPCA where they received urgent treatment from a specialist vet.

The charity says it is "highly likely" the two snakes, which were between six and eight feet long, were unwanted pets.

One of the pythons, which is an albino, was found in a severely emaciated state, and was treated for a respiratory infection and mouth rot.

The other snake was in better condition and appeared to have been fed recently.

RSPCA inspector Ben Cottle-Shaw said: "It’s clear from the very poor condition of the albino snake that this animal’s needs hadn’t been properly met for a long time and he would certainly have died eventually if he hadn’t been found. Our thanks go to the person who took prompt action by taking them to a place of safety.

"We suspect that attempts to rehome these reptiles were possibly unsuccessful. Or the person who owned them has lost interest or couldn’t afford to keep them anymore and they were sadly abandoned as a result."

Both pythons are now being temporarily kept at Reptillia in Ossett, West Yorkshire, before long-term homes can be found for them.