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Heatwave triggers snake escape alert
Most snake escapes are reported during hot summers.
RSPCA asks snake owners to be vigilant after boa constrictor escapes.

The RSPCA has asked snake-owners to be vigilant with securing their pets after an escaped boa constrictor was found in Derbyshire.

The six-foot boa constrictor was found healthy and in good condition under a garden shed in Ilkeston. However, because no owner could be identified, it has since been rehomed.

The incident has prompted a warning from RSPCA to exotic pet owners to be particularly careful with their pets' enclosures during the hot summer, especially heatwaves, when most snake escapes are reported.

This is because snakes are much more active during the summer, especially when their owners let them outside to take in some sunlight. While the extra sunlight is good for reptiles, they also move much faster which can mean they escape easier.

Snakes depend on their owners for the correct living conditions, warmth and food for their species, and so being in the wild can be potentially fatal for them.

The RSPCA saw an increase in calls about escaped snakes in 2022, with 110 calls from the Greater London area alone.

RSPCA senior scientific officer Evie Button said: “Last year, we took more than one thousand reports about snakes, with the highest number of calls coming in during the summer months. This is not surprising, as snakes become more active during hot weather - so as the UK continues to swelter this summer, we’re braced for another influx of calls.

“The RSPCA urges all pet snake owners to be extra vigilant at this time of year, invest in an enclosure suitable for the particular species and make sure that enclosure is kept secure - and locked if necessary - when unattended.”

If anyone finds a snake they believe to be non-native, the RSPCA advice is to keep a safe distance, monitor the snake and contact the RSPCA or a reptile charity.

If anyone loses a snake there are a number of lost and found pet websites where details can be logged. It is possible to microchip snakes and the RSPCA recommends that owners ask their exotics vet to do this, so that snakes can be easily reunited if lost and found.

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Practices urged to audit neutering data

News Story 1
 RCVS Knowledge has called on vet practices to audit their post-operative neutering outcomes.

It follows the release of the 2024 NASAN benchmarking report, which collates data from neutering procedures performed on dogs, cats and rabbits.

The benchmarking report enables practices in the UK and Ireland to compare their post-operative outcomes to the national average. This includes the rate of patients lost to follow-up, which in 2024 increased to 23 per cent.

Anyone from the practice can submit the data using a free template. The deadline for next report is February 2026.

Visit the RCVS Knowledge website to complete an audit. 

Click here for more...
News Shorts
UK's BSE risk status downgraded

The WOAH has downgraded the UK's international risk status for BSE to 'negligible'.

Defra says that the UK's improved risk status recognises the reputation for having the highest standards for biosecurity. It adds that it demonstrates decades of rigorous animal control.

Outbreaks of Bovine Spongiform Encephalopathy, also known as mad cow disease, have previously resulted in bans on Britain's beef exports.

The UK's new status could lead to expanded trade and better confidence in British beef.

Christine Middlemiss, the UK's chief veterinary officer, said: "WOAH's recognition of the UK as negligible risk for BSE is a significant milestone and is a testament to the UK's strong biosecurity measures and the hard work and vigilance of farmers and livestock keepers across the country who have all played their part in managing the spread of this disease.