Ophidiophobes, look away now.
A boa constrictor, apparently belonging to nobody in particular, was seen on Leytonstone High Road yesterday where it caused quite a stir, because, honestly, SNAKES?!
Just a python eating a pigeon on Leytonstone High Road #londonlife pic.twitter.com/pFJDCAwVpG
— Dave Fawbert (@DaveFawbert) 4 August 2018
Yes, that is a pigeon is its mercilessly crushing, but worry not! Apparently, a kind member of the public had simply provided the snake an already-dead pigeon as a thoughtful snack. (How said bystander so readily found a dead pigeon is left as an exercise to the reader – indeed, given the large predatory snake nearby, questions should probably be asked about what killed the pigeon in the first place.)
Here’s the slow-motion squeezing in action, courtesy The Guardian:
‘We need to put some water on it!’ suggests one man. ‘I don’t think it needs water,’ says a lady. ‘I think it just wants to eat.’
The RSPCA eventually attended the scene and removed the reptile, expressing concern for the animal’s welfare, although the pigeon’s health has, I think, been unfairly overlooked. Pet boa constrictors can live for 20-30 years which makes them a major commitment as a pet, and younger boas also like to climb things. (What I’m saying is: any number of abandoned snakes could be dangling above you at any moment.)
A two-metre-long milk snake was recently captured in the street in Stepney, for example.