Green Mamba Found On West African Ship

A green mamba, one of the deadliest snakes in the world, was found on a cargo ship from West Africa when it docked in Aberdeen last week.

The snake’s venom can kill a human in less than 30 minutes without specialist treatment, and the closest anti-venom was held in London, almost 400 miles away.

The ship’s crew put the snake into a box unaided, and a police escort then took the snake to Scotland's animal welfare charity, the Scottish SCPA. The snake was after an unsuccessful attempt to find it a home with specialist reptile keepers.

The green mamba is usually found in African rainforests and feeds on small birds, rats and reptiles, but some species are kept at homes under dangerous wild animal licenses.