A slippery customer who escaped from his home in Eastern Avenue, Liskeard, last August, and has been on the wriggle for the last eight months, has turned up safe and well in the neighbour's garden, much to the delight of his owner,who thought he had slithered off into the sunset for ever.
Fred, a five foot long black and grey Corn Snake, is the much loved pet of Joy Lavers and her young daughters Axie and Bethany, and they were very upset, when together with his mate Wilma, he went missing.
However, Wilma was found quickly, but although they searched all over the house, Fred could not be found, and the family decided he must have got outside and had probably died. He had been born and bred in captivity and had never had to fend for himself, and they assumed hunger, and eventually the cold would not allow him to survive. They had even placed a 'snake missing' advert on the notice board in the town's Somerfield Store where Joy is a checkout manager.
But amazingly, Fred was spotted just a week ago, by Joy's friend Kirsty Collins, who admits to being petrified of snakes. She saw him through a gap, curled up in a ball on the the other side of the fence between Joy's garden and the neighbour's. 'Kirsty went white and was rooted to the spot as I simply pulled him home' laughs Joy. 'I was so thrilled to see him again I picked him up and gave him a big cuddle'.
She said the family were all very happy to have him back, especially Wilma. They can only assume that while he was missing he had survived on frogs and mice, and he had hibernated from October, just recently waking up. He joins the new additions to the family, Taz the hamster and rabbit Misty.
Note for nervous readers: Corn Snakes are non venomous. They are harmless constrictors who can grow quite long but not in girth, and they come in varied colours.