Vets from the South Essex Wildlife Hospital rescued the reptile. The expert team at once recognised that the snake was a species was not native to England
An image of the viper. Facebook/@South Essex Wildlife Hospital
A venomous viper snake from India recently travelled to England in a shipping container. The viper, known to be one of the deadliest snakes in the world, is commonly found in South Asia especially in towns and cities.
A stonemason, who had ordered the container filled with rocks from India, was shocked to see the reptile in it. He then immediately called the nearby animal hospital for help. It was vets from the South Essex Wildlife Hospital that rescued the reptile. On reaching the stonemason’s place, the expert team at once recognised that the snake was a non-native species that is found in England.
“In addition to many British wildlife species coming in today, we also had a call about a critter that is definitely not in the country it should have been,” a Facebook post by the South Essex Wildlife Hospital reads. Further in the post, they also gave information about the snake species asserting that these vipers are one of the deadliest snakes that have killed more people than other species combined.
The vet hospital later identified the snake as a saw-scaled viper. They also said that they have encountered one before, so they understood the gravity of how dangerous these reptiles are.
Giving details on the snake, the hospital staff said that it has been locked in a box and is awaiting collection by an expert. Meanwhile, they also claimed that the people who opened the crate and saw the viper are very lucky to be alive. Furthermore, the snake was probably cold from travelling and was not too active, when the experts went to rescue it, the hospital noted.
As this post went viral, people on social media hailed and praised the hospital staff for their efforts.