Residents of a town in Cornwall have welcomed the sighting of a big grass snake, which they say is proof that nature is recovering after the drought. Less than a month ago, there were serious concerns about Bude Canal and its wildlife
But the reptile, shown in the video above, was spotted on Friday (September 16). “It was about 20 yards up from the observation hut as we were walking on our way back towards the Weir Bistro,” Donna Jackson, who took the video, said. “I couldn’t believe my eyes, and [was] surprised when I saw it swimming in the canal.
“I’d heard they had been sighted before, I was trying to see a kingfisher [brightly coloured bird] to no avail, but I think this topped it. I was excited and was pretty speechless, I just kept filming as it was heading back towards Bude, I was hoping it would come onto the bank but no such luck.”
Grass snakes are the largest species of snakes which can be found in the country. They can be up to 1.5m long and can be found in gardens or in the water as they mainly feed on amphibians.
Locals have welcomed the sighting on the Bude Notice Board Facebook page after many were worried about Bude Canal over the summer. Charlie Seccombe wrote: “Absolutely wonderful. Thanks for sharing. You don’t often see grass snakes. You are very lucky.”
Jamie Cousins added: “Harmless grass snake on the hunt for frogs. Good to see them about. Didn’t take long for nature to recover on the canal.”
