Man Discovers Unexpected Creature in Bag of Broccoli Purchased
Neville Linton, a 63-year-old resident of West Midlands, England, was left stunned when he stumbled upon a surprising guest in a bag of broccoli he had acquired from Aldi. To his dismay, the discovery turned out to be a snake, sending shivers down his spine, considering his existing fear of these reptiles.
Working in industrial cleaning, Linton wasted no time seeking assistance from his family to safely remove the unexpected visitor from his kitchen. His foremost concern was the safety of his vulnerable household members, including his disabled son and mother-in-law.
Upon identifying the serpent, Linton, along with his sister Ann-Marie Tenkanemin, 57, securely contained it in a plastic container and promptly returned it to Aldi. While he received compensation for the unsettling incident, Linton believes further measures should be taken, given the potential risks it posed to his family and the emotional distress it caused him.
In response, Aldi assured that such occurrences are rare and emphasized their supplier’s stringent protocols to prevent such incidents. They extended apologies to Mr. Linton for any inconvenience caused, reaffirming their commitment to maintaining high-quality standards.
The snake, identified by Linton’s son Donovan, 41, as a young ladder snake, was safely relocated to Dudley Zoo. Although ladder snakes may appear intimidating, they are non-venomous and typically prey on small creatures like rodents, birds, and insects.
Contrary to Linton’s identification, herpetologist Dr. Steven J. R. Allain suggested the creature could be a viperine water snake, also harmless to humans. He explained that such snakes rarely bite and speculated that it might have been inadvertently picked up by agricultural equipment during field operations.
Dr. Allain emphasized the importance of educating the public about these species to alleviate fear and misconception.
Image credit: Youtube Capture, TWitter Capture
