Live snake found in bag of broccoli: ‘Pretty frightening,’ says grandfather
A man and his family were shocked to find a live snake inside a bag of broccoli
A grandfather received a scare when he opened a bag of broccoli — and found a live snake tucked inside it.
Neville Linton, 63, said discovering the young ladder snake, which is capable of a nasty bite, was a “frightening” experience, as SWNS, the British news service, reported of the incident.
He said he bought the broccoli from an Aldi branch in Stourbridge, West Midlands, in the U.K., on June 2.
He put it in the refrigerator before taking it out to prepare a meal three days later, he told SWNS.
That’s when he spotted the snake.
This is the package of broccoli that the grandfather opened — with the live ladder snake tucked inside it. “I’m not good with snakes,” said Neville Linton. (SNWS)
Linton, who works in industrial cleaning, said he’s afraid of snakes — so relatives jumped to his aid and scooped up the reptile.
Said Linton, a grandfather of one from Birmingham, “It was pretty frightening. I’m not good with snakes.”
When he unwrapped the vegetable on his kitchen counter, he saw a little creature tucked up near the stem of the broccoli.
He added, “It’s lucky I didn’t just leave the broccoli out in the kitchen, or it would have been loose in the house. That would have been a huge risk for us because we have two vulnerable people living here.”
He bought the broccoli as part of his regular weekly grocery shopping rounds, he said.
When he unwrapped the vegetable on his kitchen counter, he saw a little creature tucked up near the stem of the broccoli, he said.
The ladder snake can be seen nestled between the broccoli stems inside the package. On the right, Neville Linton (far right), is shown with his son, Donovan Linton. The family drove the discovery back to the grocery store. (SWNS)
Realizing it was too big to be a caterpillar, he said he called for his sister, Ann-Marie Tenkanemin, 57, who identified it as a snake.
The pair popped it in a plastic container — and drove it back to the Aldi store where it had been purchased.
“I backed off when I saw it start moving.”
