by Tutu Akinlabi

A man who moved into a new home was met with an unpleasant surprise when he found a large snake wandering around.

The huge snake, said to be a whopping 7 feet, was found by Marco Gavzzellie and a friend who was moving in.

The boa constrictor didn’t harm the men but it was, however discovered that was left behind by the previous owners being  very ill.

The Mirror reports:

Mr Gavzzellie said: “I don’t think anybody would want to find a live snake in their house – we were both taken aback.” But when they had got over the surprise they realised the snake was sick and in need of help.

It turned out the reptile – which was discovered at the house in Coventry, West Midlands – was starving to death. The snake has now been nursed back to health after being handed over to reptile shop owner Katie Hodgkins.

The owner of KBN Reptiles rescued the distressed snake – who she has named Barry – when she heard about its plight from a nervous customer.

Katie, 27, said: “When I arrived, Barry was in a tiny tank that was far too small for a 7ft snake. He was just skin and bones – he was in a terrible state.

“He was the shape of a Toblerone. A boa constrictor should be nice and round, and about the width of a human thigh when they’re healthy.

“But when they starve, they go sort of triangular because their bones are sticking out.”

When Barry has fully recovered, he will be taken home by a staff member at KBN Reptiles.