In UK, Cops Handed Mysterious Box. Inside, A Rare White Snake

The Northumbria Police in UK says that their staff is used to receiving unusual packages - but one that they received three days ago left them shocked. According to a Facebook post by Northumbria Police, cops were left puzzled when they were handed a large cardboard box with holes punched in it. On opening it, their surprise soon turned to horror as they found a 6-foot-long white snake inside.

Cops say that the snake - suspected to be an albino corn snake - was found by a passerby, slithering around in an alley in Newcastle city centre. The passerby and a friend managed to get the snake inside a cardboard box and took it to the police.

Nicknamed Sandra by the police, the striking white snake was picked up by members of the Royal Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals (RSPCA), says the Facebook post. However, a report on Chronicle Live says that Sandra the snake managed to escape from RSPCA as well! According to the report, the white snake managed to slither out of the van when the driver rolled down his window.

"It should be renamed Harry after Harry Houdini," said RSPCA inspector Trevor Walker.

Now, the snake is still at large and efforts are being made to locate it. Though not considered dangerous or particularly aggressive, it may strike if agitated.

White and albino snakes are extremely rare. According to Darwin Snake Catchers, they rarely survive into adulthood, since their lack of colouring provides no camouflage, making them an easy target for predators.

In Australia last year, another white snake was found. Born with an 'incredibly rare genetic mutation', it was rescued from the wild.