Woman's horror as ex-boyfriend leaves behind 70 snakes after breakup

12 March 2025, 16:34

Seventy 'neglected' pythons were rescued from a house living in terrible conditions after a couple's break up.

Knaresborough Exotic Rescue were called to a house by a woman whose boyfriend has left the royal pythons post break-up.

Daniel Holmes, from the animal rescue service, said: "I've been doing this for many years and this was the worst condition I have ever seen snakes kept in."

He said they had a call for twenty snakes, but he arrived to find 68 snakes in "severe neglect" and three dead.

The owner was trying to breed the serpents, but abandoned the project after splitting with his partner.

It's believed he told his girlfriend there were only six snakes in the house.

Holmes said that some of the pythons were kept in small drawers, and a number of males had escaped to find female snakes to mate with.

"Now we're probably going to have pregnant snakes as well. They've all got mites, which is a bit like fleas to dogs, so they all need treating. There is one that needs vet care as well," he added.

The animal rescue expert said the baby snakes were in the worst condition as their enclosure overheated.

"They've dried out so now we have to rehydrate them and get them eating because they're severely underweight," he explained.

"I took two volunteers with me and it's the first time one of them came with us. He's a young lad and, if I'd have known the state the snakes would be in, I wouldn't have taken him with me because he got very upset and started crying."

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Cheshire Reptile Rescue has offered to take five serpents, and donated a racking system for Knaresborough Exotic Rescue to home the snakes in.

Holmes explained it would be "difficult" to re home the royal pythons because they require expensive specialist enclosures.

After Knaresborough Exotic Rescue shared the ordeal online support flowed in.

One commenter said "This is absolutely heart breaking".

"Well done to you and the volunteers. Hope it's happy life now for the snakes," another commenter added.

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Royal pythons usually live in grassland, shrubland and forests in West and Central Africa.

They are popular pets because they don't often bite humans and their diet includes birds and small rodents.