Boa constrictor found near school by dog walker

The boa constrictor could have died if it was left in the cold much longer, police said

A boa constrictor was found close to a primary school by a dog walker taking a stroll through a park.

Kirstie, who is a volunteer at Withywood Park in south Bristol, was alerted after the walker prised open a lidded box and saw the snake inside it.

She said the reptile was "probably the strangest thing we've ever seen in the park".

Avon and Somerset Police rescued the animal and took it to a vet in Whitchurch, before its transfer to a reptile charity. The force added the snake "was cold and lethargic and left much longer, may well have died".

Kirstie said she thought the reptile was indeed dead when she first saw it, but the snake then lifted its head and she realised it was "alive but very weak".

The snake was found in a box in Withywood Park

Kirstie said she was known locally for rescuing dogs but "never a snake".

"I wasn't worried about it being dangerous, it didn't have the energy to do any harm," she added.

Kirstie believes the snake was abandoned.

"I understand people are struggling with cost of living but I just wish people who are struggling to look after pets, would reach out," she added.