Snake slithers home after months on run

WHEN student Kevin Scott lost his beloved pet snake Salsa, he never thought he would see her again.

• Carol Mitcheson is glad to have Salsa back after the snake's adventures

Incredibly, three months after the tiny corn snake escaped from her tank, she was found safe and well just yards from her home.

One-year-old Salsa was discovered last month on Leith's Commercial Street, where Kevin, 22, shares a flat with his partner, Carol Mitcheson.

She was one of three harmless pet corn snakes found slithering around the Capital in the space of a week, with each taken to the Scottish SPCA's rehoming centre in Balerno.

The other two snakes, found on Gilmerton Road and Princes Street, have still to be rehomed.

Kevin spotted our story about the three wandering snakes earlier this month and contacted the animal welfare charity.

Kevin, who is studying marine biology at Glasgow University, said: "As soon as she went missing, I just thought that is it, that's her gone. As time went on, I had definitely lost hope of getting her back.

"When I picked up the paper and saw that one of the snakes had been found on Commercial Street, I thought it might be her."

Kevin travelled to the Balerno centre to look at the snakes and took a photograph of Salsa - who went missing around May - along with him.

"I recognised her straight away, I couldn't believe it," he said. "I was shocked that she was found on Commercial Street. It's so unusual, I thought she would have made her way out far away. She was crossing the road when she was found."

The Scottish SPCA said around ten snakes had been found slithering their way around the Lothians since the start of the year.

Kevin's girlfriend Carol, also 22, said: "It's lovely to have her back. We thought that she was gone for good.

"We hunted around the flat and building after she went missing, but couldn't find her. It never occurred to me that she might be on the street."

She added: "There's a rubbish chute at the bottom of the building that leads outside, so she might have got out that way.

"I'm surprised that she managed to stay alive for so long."

Kevin is well aware of the reputation corn snakes have as escape artists.

"I've heard numerous stories about them escaping," said Kevin, who has another two snakes - Nacho and Snow - who are kept in separate tanks.

"Salsa's tank maybe hadn't been closed properly, I'm not sure how she escaped.

"I'm just surprised that the person who found her was willing to pick her up."

The couple have now bought a new, more secure tank for Salsa to ensure the slippery customer can't make another bid for freedom.