Two boa constrictors found in golf course grass
Aaron CoxTwo boa constrictors have been found at a golf course within one week, causing fears more might be released in the area.
Aaron Cox, a pro golfer at Blackwell Grange Golf Club in Darlington, said the latest snake was discovered on 20 June and "took a swipe" at him while he picked it up to place it in a box.
The Australian said it was "standard" for him to have to deal with snakes at golf courses but his colleagues were very concerned about future discoveries in the long grass.
The club has asked Darlington Borough Council for help going forwards to stop further cases but the authority said it was on private land and was "not a council issue".
Cox said the more than 6ft-long (1.8m) boa constrictor was found in the same area as one he had boxed a week earlier.
"The consensus of the staff is that they are being dumped here after they have grown too long," he said.
"There's a pond on the course where they are being put and then they are slithering up into the long grass."
Cox was forced to pick up the latest boa constrictor to put it into a cardboard box and transport it to local exotic animal shop Coast to Coast Exotics.
"Other people didn't want to go near it but it was standard for me," Cox said.
"The one on Saturday I had to pick up and he had a swipe at me and you could hear the snake hissing at me from the box."
Both snakes were found to have inclusion body disease, a fatal illness which affects constrictor snakes including boas and pythons.
The snakes were taken from Coast to Coast Exotics by Richmond Exotics Centre but one died after two hours at a foster home and the other was euthanised by a vet.