DistantNews
Support us
🇧🇪 Belgium /Culture & Society

Woman finds corn snake in Runkst kitchen cupboard

From VRT NWS · () Dutch

Translated from Dutch, summarized and contextualized by DistantNews.

At a glance

News Sources not specified Outcome reported
  • A woman in Runkst discovered a corn snake in her kitchen cupboard on the third floor of her apartment building.
  • The harmless snake, commonly kept as a pet, was safely captured by the woman's husband and is now at the Nature Help Center.
  • Officials believe the snake likely escaped or was abandoned by its owner and are seeking the owner for two weeks before finding a new home for the reptile.

A Runkst resident got a startling surprise when she found a corn snake coiled up in her kitchen cupboard. The discovery occurred on the third floor of her apartment building, a location that baffled animal rescue officials.

"It was crazy to find a snake in that place," said Frederik Thoelen, director of the Nature Help Center. "It can't have traveled kilometers. We think it comes from the neighborhood."

It was crazy to find a snake in that place. It can't have traveled kilometers. We think it comes from the neighborhood.

— Frederik ThoelenDirector of the Nature Help Center, commenting on the unusual location of the discovered snake.

The woman was about to discard something when she encountered the reptile. Fortunately, her husband managed to contain the snake with a brush before it could retreat further behind the cabinets. "If the snake had gotten completely behind the kitchen cabinets, the Nature Help Center would not have been able to catch it," Thoelen explained.

The snake, identified as a harmless corn snake often kept as a pet, is now residing at the Nature Help Center in Oudsbergen. Thoelen noted that many people acquire such pets without fully understanding the commitment, leading to frequent escapes or abandonments. The center will hold the snake for two weeks, hoping its owner comes forward. If no owner appears, they will seek a new home for the reptile.

If the snake had gotten completely behind the kitchen cabinets, the Nature Help Center would not have been able to catch it.

— Frederik ThoelenExplaining the critical timing of the husband's intervention in containing the snake.
DistantNews Editorial

Originally published by VRT NWS in Dutch. Translated, summarized, and contextualized by our editorial team with added local perspective. Read our editorial standards.

More Stories

From Our Blog