A pet snake, which was missing for over a year in the UK, was found after being dropped onto a rooftop by a snake. The information was shared by the Royal Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals (RSPCA), a charity operating that promotes animal welfare, on Facebook. Sharing photos on the platform, the RSPCA said rescuers responded to a home in Spennymoor, County Durham, where a resident spotted a three-foot corn snake in their garden. The post was shared on April 1 (Fools' Day) and the charity clarified that the rescue operation was real and not a joke.
"When we arrived, the snake had vanished - and was then discovered on the roof of a garage. We suspect that a crow had given the snake a not-so-helpful 'leg up', but thankfully, we were able to come to her aid," the RSPCA said in the Facebook post.
The animal welfare charity further said that the snake was a pet named Agnes who had been missing from her home for over a year.
"She was found to have a respiratory infection from being outside in the cold, but it's a miracle that she survived at all after so long. She has been treated for this, and we'll be finding her a new home in due course as her owner can no longer keep her," the post said.
The BBC said a local resident came over who was "absolutely delighted" to find her pet.
"The snake had been picked up by a crow and dropped when it realised it had bitten off more than it could chew," RSPCA inspector John Lawson told the outlet.
Agnes was taken to a veterinarian and treated for the respiratory, then reunited with her owner.