Springwatch presenter Michaela Strachan has recalled a terrifying encounter with a snake, during which she begged to be released. The incident came to light as she commented on a 2016 case in Ipswich, where a resident discovered a non-native snake in his garden.
Mark Sampson was building an art studio when he found a large black snake under a railway sleeper. Speaking on Channel 5's Garden Makeovers from Hell, Strachan said: 'I love snakes. However, I think if I found a snake in my garden, I think even the toughest person is going to be pretty freaked out.' She advised having a 'healthy respect' for snakes and not handling them without understanding.
Strachan recalled a filming experience where a snake was wrapped around her neck. She mimed being squeezed and said: 'Yeah, okay, okay...okay, people. People, please get me out of this now!' She placed her hand around her throat, suggesting she felt choked.
The snake in Ipswich was identified as a Mexican black kingsnake, a non-venomous constrictor native to the Sonoran Desert. Zoologist Kevin Wallace and Katy Hackett wrangled it into a pillowcase and released it in a forest, though the RSPCA advises leaving snakes undisturbed.
Sampson described the discovery as a 'nightmare', saying: 'I looked underneath; I couldn't quite register what I was seeing... I hate snakes!' The snake was a fully-grown adult, typically four to five feet in length.
