This one is pretty self explanatory! Because it was so sunny I decided to look along the edge of a small woodland by Regent’s canal for some basking snakes. I’ve often seen Aesculapian snakes in this area even though you won’t typically find them around the UK.
They are a European species with only two feral populations in the UK. One is, obviously, by Regent’s canal next to London Zoo and the other is in the same area as the Welsh Mountain Zoo.
To my knowledge London Zoo has never kept this species, so it’s unlikely that some animals escaped from their collection. Instead, I would hazard a guess that someone who had some of these snakes grew tired of them and thought it was a good idea to release the snakes near the Zoo in an attempt to insinuate blame. Whereas I think in Wales they actually did escape from the zoo! According to the BBC anyway.
Here’s the video!
Animal Sam 