Family Discovers Python During Blackberry-Picking Stroll In Birmingham Park‌ ‌

The royal python hiding in blackberry bushes. The snake surprised the Gallant family, causing their three-year-old toddler to scream. TOM GALLANT VIA SWNS.

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BIRMINGHAM, England — A family was shocked after discovering a python during a blackberry-picking walk in a park in Birmingham.

Tom Gallant, 34, had been with his wife and two children when they spotted the large snake hidden among the blackberry bushes at Ley Hill Park, in Northfield.

The RSPCA had previously issued warnings about a 5ft (1.5m) escaped snake in the park, urging people not to approach it.

Tom had joked with his partner Jenna, 34, before they set out they had better keep an eye out for the missing royal python.

However, they were horrified when coming onto the slippery customer near an owl-shaped seat that daughter Eden, three, was ready to sit on, causing the toddler to scream.

He posted the find in a local WhatsApp group and a resident used to handling snakes retrieved it to take to the RSPCA on Tuesday afternoon.

Royal pythons are primarily found in central and western Africa and can grow up to 6ft (1.8m) long and weigh up to 3kg.

They mainly dine on small mammals like rodents and occasionally birds but can eat anything up to twice the size of their head after suffocating their prey.

Tom, of Northfield, who is also dad to four-week-old Oliver, said: “We were just taking a walk over the fields as we do most weeks and Jenna said remember to watch out for the snake.”

“But I thought that’s like a needle in a haystack, there’s no way would we spot this,” said Northfield.

“Eden wanted to go to this owl bench. Just behind the owl bench was this snake on the ground. My wife spotted it and said ‘Tom the snakes here.’ “