Couple left stunned after finding 2ft snake peeping through car's grille

A couple from Gloucestershire were left stunned when what they thought was a mechanical problem in their car turned out to be a 2ft snake stuck in the grille.

When Saira Ahmed heard her car making a strange noise, she feared a trip to the garage was in order.

But when she stopped and took a look, she was stunned to spot the head of a corn snake popping out of her car grille.

The car was parked outside Ms Ahmed's home in Oldland Common, Gloucestershire when she spotted the snake, which can grow to up to 150cm.

She said: “When I started my car, I had been hearing this really weird noise like a screw had fallen out or something. I said to my partner Justin we need to get my car looked at.

“I went to Tesco in Keynsham, was there for about an hour and went home."

Her partner, Justin Schmitz, left the house as he was going out and then called Saira to come and have a look at her vehicle’s grille, where the corn snake was peeping out.

Ms Ahmed added: “There was a tiny head sticking out, then it went back in. I was ready to go to a B&B for the night.”

A friend drove her car to a reptile shop, but when they got there the snake had seemingly disappeared.

She added: “I left my car there and walked home. My partner said he would pick my car up and when he got there, there was the head again.”

She called the RSPCA, who suggested she call a mechanic, but the one they contacted said he was too scared of snakes to come out and deal with it.

By this stage, Ms Ahmed was running late for work and had to forward a video of the snake to her boss to explain what was going on.

She said: “I went on to Facebook and found a lady who loves snakes. She came round with a dead mouse in a frozen packet, which she put on the grille.

"The snake moved out and onto the bonnet of her car where it was rescued. I thought no one [at work] is going to believe me if I say there’s a snake in my car."

Sian Fish, whose son keeps snakes, was the woman who saw the plea for help on Facebook and soon arrived at the scene.

Ms Fish, from Warmley, said: “We handle snakes daily and it’s about confidence. This snake was about two-and-a-half feet.

"Corn snakes are non-venomous and only generally bite if they are scared.”

At first, they tempted the snake out, but then it slid back into the car.

Ms Fish added: “When it stuck its head out, it was probably looking for water as it’s been quite hot. When it ducked back in, we opened the bonnet of the car and I coaxed it out, grabbing the tail."

She said corn snakes are generally kept as pets and it was likely the snake had escaped, or it may have been released if the owner could no longer afford to keep it.

Ms Fish said: “It’s not a British snake. Since the high energy costs in the run-up to Christmas, a lot of snakes are being released. It probably was in the engine for warmth.”

Her son is currently looking after the snake. She said if the owner is not found, they will continue to look after it.

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