Man is Horrified to Find a Ladder Snake Inside a Bag of Broccoli He Purchased from an Aldi

Neville Linton, a 63-year-old man from the West Midlands of England, experienced a startling and frightening surprise during a routine grocery shopping trip to Aldi. While unpacking a bag of broccoli he had purchased, he discovered a snake hidden within the vegetables.

For someone who is terrified of snakes, this was a nightmare come true. Relatives rushed to his aid, ensuring the snake was safely removed from the premises. Linton, who works in industrial cleaning, expressed his relief, saying, “It was pretty frightening. I’m not good with snakes. It’s lucky I didn’t just leave the broccoli out in the kitchen, or it would have been loose in the house. That would have been a huge risk for us because we have two vulnerable people living here.”

He contacted his sister, Ann-Marie Tenkanemin, who promptly identified the creature as a snake and helped capture it. They returned it to Aldi in a plastic container, likely leaving fellow shoppers and employees equally surprised and concerned.

Linton felt that the compensation he received was inadequate, considering the potential threat to his disabled son and mother-in-law, especially since he suffers from a snake phobia. He emphasized the emotional impact this incident had on him.

Aldi responded, stating that their supplier had never encountered such a complaint before and was investigating this isolated incident. They apologized for not meeting their usual high standards.

Interestingly, there is some debate about the snake’s identity. While Linton’s son, Donovan Linton, reported that a Dudley Zoo expert identified it as a juvenile ladder snake, herpetologist Dr. Steven J. R. Allain believes it is a viperine water snake, a non-venomous species found in southwestern Europe and northern Africa. These snakes primarily eat fish and pose no threat to humans. Regardless of the exact species, Allain hopes to raise awareness about these creatures to alleviate unnecessary fear.

In the end, this unusual encounter with a snake in a bag of broccoli serves as a reminder that nature can sometimes surprise us in unexpected places, even in the aisles of a grocery store.