Hotel guest finds snake occupying their room

Jan. 3 (UPI) -- Animal rescuers were called to a British hotel where a shocked guest went into their room and discovered it was already occupied by a snake.

The RSPCA said a guest at the hotel in Doncaster checked in on New Year's Eve and went up to their room, where they saw the kingsnake, a species native to the Americas.

"Staff were alerted and went to the room, saw the snake, closed and put towels up against the door and promptly called us," RSPCA Inspector Sara Jordan said.

Jordan responded to the hotel and spent an hour searching the room before she found the intruding serpent.

"We managed to lift the headboard off the wall but found no snake and then we finally lifted the TV desk off the wall there the snake was, all curled up and unaware of the havoc they'd wreaked," she said.

RSPCA officials said the snake appears healthy and well cared-for. Jordan said she suspects the snake might be a pet that stowed away in another hotel guest's luggage.

"The snake is now safe and sound at one of our partner exotic specialists and will be rehomed after two weeks if no one comes forward," she said.