A bright orange snake was spotted on Argyle Street in Glasgow city centre, lunging at shoppers' ankles before being captured by the Scottish SPCA.
Snake spotted on busy shopping street
The reptile was seen crawling on one of the city's busiest shopping thoroughfares, outside one of the St Enoch Shopping Centre entrances. A TikTok video captured the snake lunging at people's ankles as they walked by.
Captured and taken to rescue centre
Other pictures shared online show the snake covered by a cardboard box as a security guard stands near it. The reptile is understood to have been placed in the box to be handed to staff at the shopping centre, the Daily Record reports.
The animal was eventually collected by the Scottish SPCA and taken to the Glasgow Animal Rescue and Rehoming Centre in Cardonald. It remains unclear how the snake ended up in the city centre.
Witnesses react online
Writing online, one witness said: "The snake was clearly f*****g terrified and could have hurt someone." Another said: "I know I have an irrational fear of snakes but I always control it by knowing that it is highly unlikely I’d ever come across one randomly …now this!! I was genuinely in town today."
A third said: "This has made me so raging. The wee soul is in fight or flight. I’d have phoned SSPCA."
SSPCA confirms rescue
An SSPCA spokesperson said: "I can confirm that an Animal Rescue Officer from the Scottish SPCA attended and collected the snake after a member of the public handed it into security at St Enoch Shopping Centre in Glasgow on August 12. It was then taken to our Glasgow Animal Rescue and Rehoming Centre in Cardonald where it is now being cared for by the team."
