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Pet snake rescued from rooftop by firefighters and RSPCA after escape

Makes a change from a cat up a tree.
Makes a change from a cat up a tree. Makes a change from a cat up a tree.

A pet snake that managed to escape its owner and slither on to the roof of its home had to be rescued by firefighters and the RSPCA.

The 5ft adult snake snuck into the eaves of the loft before ending up on the roof of the two-storey building in Portsmouth.

The call came in from a woman whose partner owned the snake.

Snake visible through an upstairs window after escaping on to the roof of a home in Portsmouth (RSPCA)
Snake visible through an upstairs window after escaping on to the roof of a home in Portsmouth (RSPCA) The corn snake was uninjured (RSPCA/PA)

RSPCA inspector Alan Browning said: “I must admit I did a bit of a double-take when I looked at my job list to see my next call-out was logged as: ‘Snake on roof’.

“The caller said the snake had escaped and slithered into the eaves of the loft before getting outside and was now stuck on the roof of the two-storey house.”

Anton Philips, an animal rescue adviser from Hampshire Fire & Rescue Service, partially removed an upstairs window so the snake could get back into the loft.

“When he retreated back into the loft space we were able to apprehend him so I could give him a check-up,” added Mr Browning.

“The corn snake wasn’t injured so I returned him to his very relieved owner.”