Imagine heading to the supermarket to pick up some groceries, only to return home with an unexpected guest hiding among your food. That’s precisely what happened to 63-year-old Neville Linton, who was in for the shock of a lifetime after purchasing a bag of broccoli from Aldi.

The Shocking Discovery

Last month, Neville, who works in industrial cleaning, bought a bag of broccoli from an Aldi store in Stourbridge, England. He stored it in his fridge, unaware of the unexpected stowaway hidden inside. Three days later, as he prepared to cook, he unwrapped the broccoli only to discover a live snake nestled within the florets.

“It was terrifying,” Neville confessed. “I’m not good with snakes, and it’s lucky I didn’t just leave the broccoli out in the kitchen. Who knows what could have happened if it got loose in the house?” With a disabled son and an elderly mother-in-law living with him, Neville was especially concerned about the potential risk.

A Call for Help and a Trip Back to Aldi

Initially mistaking the snake for something far less menacing, Neville soon realized it was far too large to be a caterpillar. Panicked, he called his sister, Ann-Marie Tenkanemin, who quickly identified the reptile. The two managed to contain the snake in a plastic tub and hurried back to the Aldi store on Dudley Road, where Neville had purchased the broccoli.

“I thought my sister was joking at first, but when I saw it moving, I was genuinely frightened. Even the staff at Aldi were taken aback,” Neville said.

What Kind of Snake Was It?

The snake was taken to Dudley Zoo, where experts initially identified it as a young ladder snake. However, herpetologist Dr. Steven J R Allain, who reviewed photos of the snake, disagreed with the zoo’s assessment. Dr. Allain, a zoology graduate and current Ph.D. student specializing in snake ecology, believed it to be a viperine water snake (Natrix maura)—a harmless species native to southwestern Europe and North Africa.

“These snakes are non-venomous and pose no threat to humans,” Dr. Allain explained. “They primarily feed on fish and frogs and would rather play dead than bite when threatened. It’s likely the snake was caught up in agricultural machinery while moving through the broccoli field.”

How Did the Snake Survive the Journey?

The journey from a sunny Mediterranean field to Neville’s chilly UK fridge was a long one. However, Dr. Allain explained that these snakes can survive for several months without food, especially in cooler conditions that lower their metabolic rate. “The cold storage would have helped slow down its metabolism, allowing it to survive,” he added. “But it must have been quite uncomfortable, transitioning from the warm Mediterranean to a cold fridge.”

The Quest for Compensation

Understandably, Neville was shaken by the experience. Beyond the initial shock, he was deeply concerned about the potential danger to his vulnerable family members if the snake had escaped. “The risk to my disabled son and mother-in-law would have been severe,” Neville stressed. “Plus, I have a snake phobia, so the emotional toll was huge.”

Neville is currently in discussions with Aldi regarding compensation. While the supermarket chain has offered some compensation, Neville feels it’s not enough given the distress and risk involved. “The amount they offered doesn’t seem fair, especially considering the impact on my family,” he argued.

Aldi’s Response

In response to the incident, an Aldi spokesperson stated: “Our supplier has never encountered a complaint like this before and has strict processes in place to prevent such occurrences. We are investigating this isolated incident and have apologized to Mr. Linton that our usual high standards were not met.”

A Lesson in Unexpected Encounters

While Neville’s experience may seem like a rare, one-off incident, Dr. Allain suggests that with the amount of food imported from regions like the Mediterranean, it’s not entirely surprising for non-native species to hitch a ride. “This incident highlights the need for better awareness and education about how to handle unexpected encounters with wildlife,” Dr. Allain noted. “It’s not the snake’s fault—it just ended up in the wrong place at the wrong time.”

Now safely relocated to its new home at Dudley Zoo, the snake will hopefully help educate visitors about the importance of understanding and respecting wildlife, even when it shows up in unexpected places like a bag of broccoli.

As for Neville, he’s hoping for fair compensation for the shock and stress he endured—one grocery shopping trip he won’t soon forget.