Baby viper snake enters Finnish service station, prompting rescue operation

A baby viper snake caused a stir at the Huili service station in Paimio, Finland, on Saturday morning when it slithered inside the building. The unexpected visitor prompted staff to contact the Varsinais-Suomen rescue services.

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Then it slithered under our sales counter. We decided to call the rescue services because we couldn't start hunting it here, it could be dangerous.

Rescue personnel responded to the scene twice in an effort to find the elusive reptile. The snake had managed to hide itself away, making the search challenging. During the initial search, rescue workers and station staff attempted to dismantle parts of the sales counter to gain access to potential hiding spots, but the snake remained hidden.

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The customers were very understanding when we told them to watch their feet, as we had a bit of a situation here.

After the rescue team initially left, station staff alerted them again, having spotted the snake on surveillance cameras moving towards the shop area. On their second attempt, the rescue services successfully located the viper hiding beneath shelves in a corner of the shop. The snake was safely captured and then released back into its natural habitat. Station manager Hanna Niemi noted that the incident caused no panic among the few customers present, who were understanding of the unusual situation.

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No one here remembers seeing a snake before.