A green mamba has been found in a boat in Aberdeen. Eek! Beautiful snake though. They had it put down.
Deadly green mamba snake found in Aberdeen boat
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- 3 hours ago
- From the sectionNE Scotland, Orkney & Shetland
Image copyrightTHINKSTOCK
One of the world's most deadly snakes has been discovered on a boat at Aberdeen Harbour.
The green mamba was found on a ship that had docked on Wednesday from west Africa.
It is understood workers on the vessel put the snake into a box before calling animal welfare experts.
A police escort was used to transport the animal to a Scottish SPCA animal centre in Drumoak. However, the snake was later euthanised.
The SSPCA said the nearest anti-venom was held in London and that the snake was destroyed amid health and safety concerns.
The western green mamba feeds on small animals and rodents and is mainly found in the coastal tropical rainforests of western Africa.
Experts say its bite can be fatal in as little as 30 minutes.
Eek! Beautiful snake though. They had it put down.
It does seem a bit surprising. You would have thought there might be some zoo or serpentarium that could have taken it. I guess not.
Complaint over Scottish SPCA snake death investigated
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- 26 minutes ago
- From the sectionNE Scotland, Orkney & Shetland
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Image captionThe snake was thought to be a green mamba
A complaint about the Scottish SPCA putting what was thought to be one of the world's most deadly snakes to sleep is being investigated by police.
The suspected green mamba was found on a ship that had docked in Aberdeen from west Africa last month.
The snake died after it was placed in a freezer by the animal charity after attempts to rehome it with specialist reptile keepers failed.
The snake was later identified as a harmless green tree snake.
Police Scotland said a complaint was under consideration.
Scottish SPCA Ch Supt Mike Flynn said: "We were called out after a green snake arrived in Aberdeen on a boat from Africa.
"The snake was thought to be a green mamba, one of the deadliest snakes in the world. The snake was taken by police escort to our Aberdeenshire animal rescue and rehoming centre.
"Sadly the snake, which staff genuinely believed to be a green mamba, had to be put to sleep after our attempts to rehome it to specialist reptile keepers were unsuccessful."
'Safety paramount'
He added: "We could not keep the snake in our centre due to severe health and safety concerns, as the closest anti-venom is held in Bedford. Green mambas also require a Dangerous Wild Animal Licence which the society does not have.
"The safety of our staff and the public is paramount and as such the snake was placed in a freezer where it passed away.
"The Scottish SPCA is proud of its policy not put healthy animals to sleep. Animals are only put to sleep on veterinary advice if they are too ill or too aggressive to be rehomed, or where we are legally required to do so.
"The decision to euthanise the snake was not taken lightly. Unfortunately, the snake has since been identified as a harmless green tree snake. This has been an honest mistake on the society's part as we genuinely believed this was an extremely deadly snake."
The western green mamba feeds on small animals and rodents and is mainly found in the coastal tropical rainforests of western Africa.
Experts say its bite can be fatal in as little as 30 minutes
Oh how sad, poor snake.
I've heard from people who've lived in the tropics that that they had to take care to always keep patio doors closed in order to prevent this sort of thing. One friend who used to live in the leafy outskirts of Kuala Lumpur said it wasn't unusual to spot the occasional python in the back garden. She said the pythons weren't a great concern because they aren't poisonous and are supposedly non-confrontational. She was more worried about the venomous snakes. I could see her point but I don't think I would be quite so casual about the pythons.
No criminal action over Scottish SPCA snake death
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- 4 hours ago
- From the sectionNE Scotland, Orkney & Shetland
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Image captionThe snake was thought to be a green mamba
No criminal action will be taken after the Scottish SPCA killed what was thought to be one of the world's most deadly snakes.
The suspected green mamba was found on a ship that had docked in Aberdeen from west Africa in November.
The snake died after it was placed in a freezer by the animal charity. It was later identified as a harmless snake.
Police Scotland received a complaint, but it has now been decided that no further action will be taken.
The snake - which turned out to be a green tree snake - was put in a freezer after attempts to rehome it with specialist reptile keepers failed.
Primary consideration
The Scottish SPCA said staff had genuinely believed it was a green mamba, and safety had to be paramount.
The group Animal Concern contacted Police Scotland after receiving complaints from members of the public.
Animal Concern's John Robins has now received an email from Police Scotland explaining that the matter would not be taken further.
It stated: "The decisions made and actions taken at the time were done with their primary consideration being public safety.
"The chief inspector from Scottish SPCA took the decision using the information she had at the time which pointed to the fact this was a deadly green mamba.
"With this in mind the decision has been made that there will be no criminal proceedings in relation to this incident."
'Review of procedures'
Mr Robins said: "We were surprised about the case. A review of procedures would be positive."
The western green mamba feeds on small animals and rodents and is mainly found in the coastal tropical rainforests of western Africa.
Experts say its bite can be fatal in as little as 30 minutes.
Red-bellied black snake slithers from bonnet during SA highway drive
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9NEWS
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0:15
A South Australian driver was shocked by a red-bellied black snake that popped up from their bonnet during a drive from Adelaide. (Mundoo Island Station)
"He stayed with us all the way and could not be coaxed out of the engine well.
"I have left my car in the middle of a paddock and hope that he finds his way out tonight.
"Petrified would sum up my nervous state for the hour I had to drive."
The quick-thinking driver also shut her car's vents and set the air-conditioning to recirculate in an attempt to block the snake from entering the inside of the car, she wrote on Facebook.
The snake was still inside the car about noon today, she added.
Video of the encounter has been viewed more than 47,000 times over the past 18 hours.
© Nine Digital Pty Ltd 2017
Read more at http://www.9news.com.au/national/20...t-during-sa-highway-drive#oySByhPbZdDmgj7I.99
Bloody hell .. you wait for one snake through the ear story and then two come along at once ... because hasn't a forum member here recently posted about the same thing just happening to them ?This woman got a snake stuck in her earlobe
A woman from the US state of Oregon managed to get her pet python stuck in her earlobe.
Ashley Glawe posted a picture of herself in hospital on Facebook.
She wrote: "BY FAR one of my #CRAZIEST life moments! Went to the #EmergencyRoom because my #BallPython #Python #Snake decided to get #STUCK in my #Gauged earlobe!"
She posted to say she was holding the snake, called Bart, when it slithered through a hole in her ear.
"It all happened SO fast that before I even knew what was going on it was already too late..." ...
http://www.bbc.co.uk/newsbeat/article/38827122/this-woman-got-a-snake-stuck-in-her-earlobe
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