Second Irish Snake Alert

A search is underway for a snake that was stolen in Dublin today.

As a Co Antrim woman described how she was shocked to find an 18-inch snake in her Ballymoney home last week, gardaí at Fitzgibbon Street are appealing to the public in relation to a second snake that has slithered off after a Dublin burglary.

It occurred in the North Strand area between 8.15am and 5.45pm yesterday, Thursday.

During the course of the burglary a 'Bull Snake' was taken or may have escaped, said police.

This reptile is not said to be venomous. However, if cornered it will strike out to defend itself and may cause injury.

It is described as green in colour with black spots on its back and approximately 3ft in length.

Any person who may have information or who has seen this reptile is asked to contact the gardaí at Fitzgibbon Street 01- 666 8400, the Garda Confidential Line 1-800-666-111 or the DSPCA 01-4935501/01-4935504.

Meanwhile, Joanne Woods, 20, who came face-to-face with the black and yellow snake at her flat in Ballymoney last week has been describing the ordeal.

She opened her top drawer for a spoon but instead nearly reached for the mice-eating Californian King snake, which can grow up to four feet in length.

"I ran out and the snake and drawer fell onto the floor," she said, noting that she rang the USPCA and Ballymoney Council but neither were willing to come to her aid.

She then contacted the police, but had to keep an eye on her unwelcome guest for over an hour until they arrived.

"By this stage we had pulled the snake and drawer into the living room and it just sat curled in a ball," she said.

"When the police arrived they said they had never seen anything like it. The vet came in a while later and just picked it up," she explained, noting that the vet thought it was a young snake.

"Who knows if its mother is also here or if there are others which have escaped," she said. "I am a bit worried about it. I got a real scare."

Keith Laughlin, a vet at Riada, told the BBC he was surprised no-one had come forward to collect the reptile.

"It is in good condition and has obviously been looked after so I would have expected someone to claim it by now," he said.

(BMcc)