Zoo visitors startled by free snake

file image

A couple of visitors at Zurich Zoo had a shock at the vivarium as they came across a snake that seemed to be slithering free.

One of them said that she was so surprised she let out a scream - thinking it may be a deadly tropical specimen that had escaped. 

They warned the staff. The zoo stresses that was the right decision, but also says it was a harmless native grass snake that just happens to live within the zoo’s grounds. 

It’s thought there are around 50 of them on the premises which covers 27 hectares.

More from Bitesize News

  • Geneva could foot the G7 bill

    Geneva fears it will be left with the security bill from a G7 summit just across the border in Évian, according to 24 heures.

  • US NGO discovers Swiss child abuse cases

    Switzerland relies too heavily on an American NGO to detect child sexual abuse online, raising questions about the country's ability to protect children on its own.

  • French singer banned by Paleo

    The Paléo Festival in Nyon says it will no longer invite French singer Patrick Bruel, after a former volunteer accused him of inappropriate behaviour.

  • Cars going uninspected

    The cantons are struggling to keep up with mandatory vehicle inspections, leaving more than 550,000 checks overdue nationwide.

  • War may lead to rent rises

    Rents may rise again, says the bank Raiffeisen.

  • Not a heatwave, yet

    Summer has arrived, with temperatures climbing past 30 over the long weekend. Basel reached 31 and Sion hit 32.4, but MeteoSwiss, says this does not yet count as an official heatwave.

Download our app

  • Available on the App Store
  • Available on Google Play