As RSPCA Cymru braces for a surge in reports of stray snakes this summer, many in Brecon may recall the surreal moment when a grandmother discovered an uninvited reptile guest curled up on her kitchen windowsill.

The charity issued a warning on National Snake Day (July 16), urging pet owners to double-check their snake enclosures and take extra care in the heat, when escapes become more likely.

In Wales, the number of snake-related reports made to the RSPCA actually fell slightly last year - from 37 in 2023 to 25 in 2024 - but the charity fears that trend could soon reverse as warmer months set in. The most common hotspots for reports last year were Cardiff, Flintshire and Swansea.

Across England and Wales, snake incident reports rose by 6 per cent, with nearly 1,000 cases logged in 2024. The RSPCA says July to September are peak months, with a recent case seeing a stray python turn up in a London fish and chip shop.

And while most of the snakes rescued are escaped pets, the summer also brings a rise in misidentified native snakes, such as grass snakes or adders, leading to unnecessary calls to animal welfare officers.

RSPCA senior scientific officer Evie Button said: “Snakes are excellent escape artists and will take the opportunity of a gap in an enclosure door, or a loose-fitting lid to make a break for it.”

Locals in Brecon may remember exactly how far such a break can go. Back in August 2021, a woman living in Cradoc Close was left horrified after she found a corn snake slithering around her kitchen while fetching a glass of water.

Lorraine Jones, then 55, had no idea how the snake had entered her home - or how long it had been there.

“I saw it and I just thought ‘that’s a snake,’” she said at the time. “I can see the funny side of it now, but it really wasn’t funny at the time.”

The incident, which happened the night after her grandchildren had stayed over, led to a chaotic series of events involving cookbooks, a paintbrush, a vacant fish tank, and a helpful friend known only as Colin.

Eventually, the snake - named Severus - was safely rehomed and later reunited with its owner, who lived nearby and had been searching for their missing pet for four weeks.

The episode caused such a stir that Lorraine began to suspect the snake’s presence had been behind a string of strange behaviour from local cats, who she said had been trying to sneak into her house in the days beforehand.

Now, with the warm weather back and another spike in snake activity expected, the RSPCA is urging snake owners to secure enclosures, be cautious when taking reptiles outside to bask in sunlight, and not to release exotic pets into the wild, which can be both illegal and harmful to native species.

If you find a snake and suspect it may be an escaped pet, the RSPCA advises keeping a safe distance and visiting their website for guidance: https://www.rspca.org.uk/reportaconcern