A community rallied round to unite a pet snake with its thrilled young owner.

Bethany Buckley was amazed to be reunited with corn snake, Swirly, after she escaped in October and somehow had managed to survive the low temperatures of the last four months.

Corn snakes are used to temperatures of 25-30 degrees and as an August hatchling Swirly was given to the Great Notley Primary School pupil for her ninth birthday.

On October 18, Swirly managed to escape her hatchling box and the incubator at the family's home in Great Notley, and was nowhere to be found.

But on Saturday, a post appeared on the Great Notley Facebook community page after Swirly turned up.

Residents then managed to work out who Swirly's owner was. 

Bethany said: “I was jumping up and down when I got Swirly back."

 

See the BWT for the full story.