A UK family settled in for a cozy night of TV, only to have their peaceful evening interrupted by a snake slithering from under the couch.
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On Monday, October 7, the ARK Wildlife & Dinosaur Park in Lincolnshire, England, announced on Facebook that they had received a call from a distressed woman requesting assistance removing a stealthy serpent that had made its way beneath her family’s couch.
“I didn’t know what it was,” the woman’s husband, Harry Pantziz, recalled to the BBC. Harry explained that his wife was the first to notice a snake’s head emerging from beneath the couch.
Many wives would expect their husbands to deal with the hissing threat. However, Harry was no manly man. He was happy to let the professionals handle the scary reptile.
“My wife called someone. We were watching from the window. It was a little scary,” the timid hubby admitted.
The Distressed Family Looks on as Professionals Deal with the Snake
When a representative from the park arrived to investigate, they found the entire family gathered outside their home. Meanwhile, the 3-foot-long Florida kingsnake was discovered hiding beneath the sofa, per ARK Wildlife & Dinosaur Park.
The snake isn’t venomous nor a danger to pets.
While many people who live in rural areas might find the family’s pearl-clutching reaction to the snake amusing, experts stress it’s normal to be so easily intimidated by a common animal.
Jamie Mintram with ARK Wildlife & Dinosaur Park took up for the Pantziz family’s timid behavior.
“If you aren’t used to snakes, having one turn up in your house in the middle of the night is probably going to freak you out,” Mintram told the BBC.
A spokesperson for the park informed the outlet that the snake likely slithered into the home in search of warmth, as it would not have survived long outdoors in the cool temperatures, which ranged from 50 to 60 degrees Fahrenheit that day.
The park observed that the “poor little snake,” affectionately nicknamed “Mickey,” was “definitely not a Lincolnshire native” and “very cold” after being rescued from beneath the couch.
However, despite the family’s negative reaction to Mickey, the snake is enjoying a more peaceful existence.
ARK took the animal in. It received healthcare and is reportedly doing well at the sanctuary.
Meanwhile, ARK is on a quest to find Mickey’s original owner.
“We’re keen to see if we can find an owner who might have lost him. Snakes are very good escape artists,” Mintram told the BBC.