Escaped snake terrifies tenants
An escaped snake has finally been caught after striking fear into tenants in a Basel apartment this summer.
A hearing-impaired couple had just moved into a new apartment with their four-month-old baby in May when the snake first appeared in the kitchen, online news site 20 Minuten reported.
When the couple called the police, they were unable to locate the animal.
Only a few weeks passed before the snake appeared again, this time in the bathroom. In the search for the elusive reptile, part of the bathroom was ripped out, and a section of the wall and some floor tiles removed.
“There was a connection between the kitchen and bathroom,” Stephan Buess, the police reptile expert, told the website.
Using an endoscope, the police were able to locate the snake. A photograph had previously enabled police to identify the unwanted guest as a non-venomous corn snake.
“She is only about 70 centimetres long,” the expert said.
A waiting game then ensued, as Buess tried to coax the animal out using a live mouse as bait.
Police learned that the snake had escaped when the previous tenant had been in hospital. The snake was being looked after by someone else as a favour.
The family have since moved out of the apartment in fear. The previous tenant and snake-owner will now have to cover the costs of police time as well as the damage to the bathroom.
Join the conversation in our comments section below. Share your own views and experience and if you have a question or suggestion for our journalists then email us at [email protected].
Please keep comments civil, constructive and on topic – and make sure to read our terms of use before getting involved.
Please log in here to leave a comment.