Reptile's Unplanned Coastal Excursion
An escaped corn snake embarked on an unusual journey, traveling approximately 17 miles (27km) from its owner's residence in Bridlington to Scarborough, hidden within a car engine. The reptile, which has since been reunited with its owner, was eventually spotted on top of a car bonnet in Scarborough on June 13.
Rescue Operation in Scarborough
Dave Bigsby, from Lilly's Reptile Rescue Centre, was called to assist with the retrieval of the snake. Upon arrival, the snake was not immediately visible. Bigsby was shown an image of the snake, allowing him to confirm its species as a corn snake. The rescue team had to await the driver's return to locate the reptile's hiding spot.
"The driver came back to his car eventually and he opened the engine bay up and the snake was sat on the right-hand side above the strut spring," Bigsby recounted.
Extracting the snake proved challenging, as it had tightly coiled itself around a component within the engine bay. Bigsby described holding onto the snake's tail for two hours before it finally loosened its grip and could be safely removed.
A Unique Rescue Experience
Bigsby, who established his rescue center in 2024, noted that this incident marked a first for him. While he has responded to various calls involving snakes found in dustbins, hedgerows, riverbanks, and footpaths, this was his inaugural experience extracting a snake from a car engine. He described the snake as "beautiful, no signs of aggression, no bad moods, no nothing."
The corn snake has been cared for at Bigsby's rescue center since its retrieval and is scheduled to be collected by its owner on Tuesday.