ABANDONED in sub-zero temperatures, Fluffy the corn snake was close to death – until kind-hearted staff at a Brentwood animal sanctuary stepped in.
The three-foot long reptile was found dumped inside a poky vivarium to the rear of Pets at Home in Harlow at around 10am on Tuesday, December 11 – a day when the mercury dropped to -2C.
Worried staff took the serpent in and called the RSPCA but when the charity was unable to help they got in touch with Hopefield Animal Sanctuary instead.
Jess Roche, an office worker at the Sawyers Hall Lane safe haven, then jumped in her car and drove to Harlow to collect Fluffy.
The brightly-coloured snake, whose gender and age have yet to be ascertained, is now recuperating from its ordeal inside a warm and more spacious vivarium in the sanctuary's visitor centre.
Jess, 20, said: "It was probably out in the cold for an hour or two so it is amazing that it survived really.
"Surely whoever dumped that snake must have known that, in those weather conditions there was a good chance it would have died."
Jess, who has worked at the sanctuary for the past year, said she was worried that the reptile would escape from its two foot vivarium while she drove back to Hopefield.
As things turned out, the inquisitive serpent got out and went for a slither around her office shortly after it arrived at the sanctuary.
The snake, one of some 300 animals in Hopefield's care, now has a new four-foot long vivarium, kept at a constant temperature of 30C and complete with a little house in which it can hide.
Jess, who lives in Chelmsford, said: "It seems really friendly and we decided to call it Fluffy because we hope it means children won't be scared of it.
"Snakes are very friendly when they have been handled well and we are trying to educate children that they make good pets too – just like guinea pigs and hamsters."
Sanctuary manager David Schlaich, 32, said: "The vivarium it was found in wasn't acceptable at all because there wasn't a lot of room in there but that aside it isn't underweight and it looks well.
"It is very protective of its vivarium but once it is out it is very friendly and it hasn't tried to bite anyone, which is a good thing.
"If it keeps coming along as it has done so far then we will be able to let visitors handle it."
Mr Schlaich, who has worked at the sanctuary for the past 15 years, also believes the snake has had a lucky escape.
"If it had been out there in the cold for much longer it could have died," he said.
"It is lucky to be alive."
A Pets at Home spokesperson said: "We are very relieved that Hopefield Animal Sanctuary is able to accommodate the animal.
"Our store teams are trained to a very high standard and care passionately about pets, in fact 92 per cent are pet owners themselves.
"We encourage any potential pet owner to come into store and speak to our team before deciding which pet is right for them, to prevent unfortunate situations like these from arising."
For more information about Hopefield, call 01277 201 110 or visit www.hopefield.org.uk
