RSPCA called out to capture rubber toy snake

A Birmingham householder got the shock of his life when he discovered a slithering snake on his patio. In a blind panic, he rang the RSPCA for help – but was left with egg on his face when the “snake” turned out to be a rubber toy.



The man, who has not been named, contacted the RSPCA when he stepped out on to the patio of his house in Hayfield Garden, Moseley, and came face to face with what he thought was a 2ft (60cm) long cobra. The RSPCA said the quaking man had a genuine fear of snakes so was too petrified to get close enough to have a proper look at the reptile.

It was only when RSPCA inspector Jonathan Ratcliffe arrived he discovered it was in fact a two-foot-long rubber plastic toy. Insp Ratcliffe said: “Where the imitation cobra came from was anyone’s guess, but it left the caller with a face a bright shade of scarlet. I couldn’t believe my eyes when I got there and saw the plastic snake as it didn’t look real in any way.



“But the man was really genuine in his fear of snakes and therefore hadn’t gone close enough to realise it wasn’t real. He couldn’t stop apologising for his error.” Insp Ratcliffe said he would not be launching an investigation into where the fake snake came from, but would just “put it down to experience”.