Posh shoppers at Waitrose were stunned after they spotted this PYTHON slithering away from the petrol station forecourt.
Reptile expert Elizabeth Murphy, 26, was called into action after the 4ft royal python was seen near the upmarket store in Cheltenham, Glos.
It slithered into an alcove at a nearby block of flats, where Elizabeth managed to coax it onto her arm.
She plans to “get him a nice, warm bath” and says she’ll “get him quarantined and feed him after 48 hours”.
“I’ve got some mice in the freezer so I’ll get him fed,” she said. “He is not venomous but black spots around his stomach are an infection.
“I’ll health check him and make sure he has no mites.”
David Godwin, 52, lives in flats next to the petrol station and spotted the non venomous snake on Tuesday afternoon.
He said: “I was going back to my flat when I spotted it. I thought at first it was a toy so I had to do a double take and then I realised it was real.
“I put down my shopping and just kept watch and warned anyone passing, because it could give someone a heart attack.
“I called the police, who then called the RSPCA.”
A spokesman for pet insurer Animal Friends said abandoned or escaped exotic pets are an increasingly common problem.
“There are charities and fostering services set up specifically to look after reptiles in need, so there really is no excuse to leave an animal to fend for itself,” he said.
