Sick 10ft boa constrictor discovered in Bristol

A 10ft boa constrictor was discovered abandoned in a vivarium in the back of the car which had been seized by police from Musgrove Close in Lawrence Weston on 9 December 2017.

The unexpected occupant was given a helping hand by RSPCA inspectors who helped the giant snake out of the vehicle before taking him to get the urgent veterinary care he needed.

The animal welfare charity is now appealing for anyone with information about the snake to get in touch after attempts to trace the owner of the vehicle have proved unsuccessful.

The RSPCA is warning that thousands of exotic pets are at risk as the number of calls it receives per year about reptiles has increased.

Every year the animal welfare charity takes thousands of calls from members of the public about exotic pets and the number involving reptiles in particular has been steadily rising.

Nearly 7,000 calls about reptiles were received by the RSPCA in 2016 and over the past five years, there has been a 71% rise in the total number of calls about reptiles received by the animal charity from 4,020 in 2011 to 6,888 in 2016.