Civil Guard Returns Snake To Wild After It Scares 2 Girls

A Spanish Civil Guard officer had to return a wild snake to its natural habitat after being found in a resident’s garden by two girls while playing.

The incident took place in the municipality of Alguena in the eastern Spanish province of Alicante when the ladder snake (Rhinechis scalaris) was found on the patio by the home owner’s frightened granddaughters.

Civil Guard officers managed to remove the snake, which is non-venomous but will bite if threatened, and returned it to a nearby field.

Officers of the Civil Guard’s Nature Protection Service (Seprona) also rescued two Vietnamese Pot-bellied pigs, considered an exotic species, and a wild boar from a property in the municipality of Elche.

The animals were seized from a rural plot where the owner was holding them.

The boar was allegedly captured in a net while poaching.

The animals were kept in cages and had injuries to their noses, probably caused by the stress of being locked up in cramped conditions.

The owner is reportedly being investigated for several offences including keeping exotic animals and illegal hunting.

If convicted, he could face a fine of up to 12,000 EUR (10,960 GBP).

The wild boar is being cared for by the Wild Animals Recovery Centre while the Ministry of Agriculture will take care of the Vietnamese pigs.

The investigation continues.