The owner of a baby python discovered in a family’s toilet in Southend has apologised to neighbours and explained that he lost Reggie two months ago when he moved house.
Laura Cowell’s toilet had been blocked for several days and had been draining slowly, but it was only when her five-year-old son lifted its lid last week that they discovered the source of the problem – a 3ft (91cm) royal python trapped in the porcelain.
“He was frantic and shaking and I could tell something was wrong, but that was not what I expected,” Cowell said of the incident. “I had to use a broom handle to lift the lid, then out popped its head and its tongue came out as well.”
The snake’s owner, Tim Yardley, came forward after seeing pictures of his missing pet in media coverage. He said he had almost given up hope of finding Reggie.
Cowell said she was petrified and put weights on the toilet lid for days after discovering the snake. Specialists from a local pet shop, Scales and Fangs, were called to remove the snake, which “smelt of bleach and a bit toilety”, the store’s Ethan Pinion said. The python, which was harmless, “most likely came up the U-bend” and was expected to recover fully.
Rob Yeldham, the owner of the store in Leigh-on-Sea, was contacted by Yardley, who showed him photos of Reggie. “Snake markings are like fingerprints and unique, so comparing them to our snake I am 100% certain we’ve found Reggie’s owner,” Yeldham told the BBC.
Yeldham said Reggie escaped and got lost the night his owners moved into their new home. “During the move one of the air vents on the enclosure got dislodged and ... Reggie was able to pull the air vent off his enclosure and escape his tank,” he said.
“We believe from there he made his way into the toilet system. He was out for about two months... before he finally made his way up into Laura toilet where her son unfortunately came face to face with him.”
Yeldham previously said that in 10 years in the job he had never had to rescue a snake from a toilet. Reggie was healthy and not underweight, but he was suffering from scale rot, “probably from the bleach” in the toilet system, and was being treated.
As royal pythons are harmless, Yeldham said, “there’s no one really to report a missing one to” and putting it on social media can create panic.
But they are vulnerable to foxes and cats, which was why Reggie’s owner had become pessimistic about ever seeing him again.
On social media, Yardley said Reggie’s escape was a “total accident”. He thanked the rescuers, adding: “I’m just glad he ended up in safe hands, my full apologies to the family and their little boy who found him under such circumstances.”
Reggie will be returned to his owner once checks show he has a secure vivarium, Yeldham added.
