Dog walker finds 8ft-long boa constrictor in Oxfordshire field

This is not the wildlife you expect to see on a dog walk in England - RSPCA
This is not the wildlife you expect to see on a dog walk in England - RSPCA

Spring is here, and with the season comes all kinds of interesting wildlife as creatures come out of hibernation and return to our countryside.

Dog walkers can enjoy keeping their eyes out for hares, frogs, birds and perhaps, if they're lucky, a slow worm.

However, one dog walker got more than he bargained for when he stumbled upon an eight-foot-long boa constrictor on his amble in Banbury, Oxfordshire.

The dog walker is said to have got "a bit of a surprise" when he saw the huge reptile.

The RSPCA has no idea how the 12.2kg snake ended up in a field outside a housing estate.

Deputy Chief Inspector Melanie Fisher told the BBC that despite the cold, the boa constrictor is doing well.

The female snake is assumed to be a pet, although the animal charity has no way of contacting the owner.

"I think the caller got a bit of a surprise. It's not every day you stumble upon an 8ft snake while out walking the dog.

"The snake may have escaped from a vivarium or may have been abandoned.

"Sadly she's not micro-chipped so we do not know where she has come from."

The RSPCA is urging the owner of the reptile to get in contact with its inspectorate appeal line.

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