Man calls RSPCA for help after being ‘scared stiff’ by toy cobra

By
Daily Mail Reporter

06:59 EST, 3 May 2012

|

06:59 EST, 3 May 2012

A man who got the fright of his life after he spotted a two-foot long cobra on his patio, was left embarrassed when it turned out to be a toy!

Jad Raja, from Moseley, West Midlands, panicked after spotting creature and frantically called the RSPCA.

But when inspectors from the animal rescue charity turned up at his house – armed with snake catching equipment, they discovered it was in fact life-size model.

Rubber toy snake confused for real creature

Rubber toy snake confused for real creature

Double take: Jad spotted the real-like creature in his garden before

Jad, 53, apologised to RSPCA inspector Jonathan Ratcliffe. He said: ‘When I saw the snake it didn’t seem to be moving very much, but I was scared stiff – I thought ‘I hope it’s not poisonous.

‘I hate snakes, I won’t even touch a worm, so I called the council and they said call the RSPCA.

‘Jonathan arrived quickly and went straight around the back and because he was pretty experienced – he soon realised it wasn’t a real snake.

‘I felt pretty embarrassed but they reacted quickly and did a good job. I think I would do the same again – it could have been real.’

Jad called the RSPCA after the snake appeared on his patio at his home, last Thursday.

After calling the RSPCA, Jad realised that it was infact a child's toy

After calling the RSPCA, Jad realised that it was infact a child’s toy

RSPCA Inspector Mr Ratcliffe said: ‘I couldn’t believe my eyes when I got there and saw the plastic snake as it didn’t look real in any way.

‘The man was really genuine in his fear of snakes and therefore hadn’t gone close enough to realise it wasn’t real. He couldn’t stop apologising for his error.

‘It is a mystery how the plastic cobra got there but I won’t be launching an investigation to find out.

‘I guess this is just one of those jobs I will need to put down to experience.’

But the pair were left scratching their heads as to how the snake got there – as no children or pets live nearby.

They came to the conclusion that a hungry bird may have swooped the toy thinking it was edible – only to drop it over the house.

Mr Ratcliffe added: ‘The strangest thing is we don’t really know how it got there.

‘We think a hungry bird may have picked it up and then not realising it was edible dropped it on to the patio below.

‘Unfortunately, it just happens to have been dropped into a man’s garden who is absolutely petrified of snakes.’

Here’s what other readers have said. Why not add your thoughts,
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The comments below have not been moderated.

I wouldn’t be surprised if Mr Raja already bought some anti venom vaccine.

Toy ssssssnakes sssshouldn’t be ssssusssed to RSSSPCA by sssstupid ownerssssss. I ressst my cassse.

I often have to remove the real variety from the house since moving here. The price you pay I suppose for living up the mountain surrounded by jungle. I can understand the man hating snakes and some of the toy ones you can get do look very realistic but the one shown looks absolutely nothing like the real thing.

“To all of you that think this is funny, tell me your phobia (and give me your address). Jad has admitted he was perhaps a bit daft (although I can understand it) and the RSPCA aren’t making a big deal about it, so why do you have to poke fun?” – Edna, Kent, 3/5/2012 19:58 ************* I agree. While at first I thought it was ludicrous, looking at it and thinking that he must have seen it didn’t even move, you have to see it from his POV. He has a fear of snakes, doesn’t even like worms, and once he saw it he just panicked and wouldn’t even go near it, which I don’t blame him for. He did the right thing, imagine thinking you could deal with the snake to end up being bitten by a poisonous one from which you could die from in minutes. It could happen.

I had one similar when I was a kid 40 years ago. Still got it somewhere I think.

My poor old dad gave himself a terrible fright one time. He had fruit trees, and the birds kept eating the fruit. He’d read that birds were scared of snakes, so one afternoon he borrowed a couple of my son’s toy snakes to drape in one of the trees, to see for himself if it worked. A fright was had, but not by the birds. He came in from the garden the next morning, white as a ghost and still shaking. He’d forgotten he’d put the snakes in the tree, and had come face to face with one of them, scaring himself half to death :). He could laugh about it later, but didn’t think it funny at the time.

Hahahahahahahahahahaha.

Why call the RSPCA? I thought it was meant to be for helping animals in distress, not twits who can’t tell the difference between a rubber toy and a living creature. I hope he made a donation to them for wasting the inspectors’ time.

To all of you that think this is funny, tell me your phobia (and give me your address). Jad has admitted he was perhaps a bit daft (although I can understand it) and the RSPCA aren’t making a big deal about it, so why do you have to poke fun?

I’m surprised that the RSPCA bothered to come out.
I had a pigeon that got stuck in my chimney that was frantically banging on the wall mounted gas fire in a bid to get out.
I called the RSPCA to ask them if they could just ASSIST ME in capturing the bird after a Gas fitter removed the fire from the wall.
They weren’t interested stating that they would only come if the bird was in !! DISTRESS !!
I Eventually I caught the bird in a old curtain and released it in the garden where it promptly flew away.
So much for a charity that loves animals !!

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