Snake on a plane makes journey from Australia to Scotland inside woman’s shoe

‘She absolutely lost it – it was her first real encounter with a snake,’ says holidaymaker's son-in-law

Spotted python inside slip-on (Scottish SPCA)

A woman who opened her suitcase after flying home to Scotland from Australia was shocked to discover a snake hiding inside one of her shoes.

Moira Boxall realised the spotted python had made the almost 10,000 mile journey from Queensland to Glasgow with her when she found it curled up in a slip-on sandal.

Paul Airlie, Ms Boxall’s son-in-law, said she had initially assumed it was a toy snake put there as a prank until she prodded the serpent and it suddenly moved.

“She was not at all expecting to find the snake when she was unpacking a bag when she got back to Scotland,” Mr Airlie, who lives in the Queensland city of Mackay, told the Australian Broadcasting Corporation.

“She absolutely lost it – it was her first real encounter with a snake ... Somehow or other it got from Mackay to Glasgow without being detected.”

Ms Boxall had been visiting her daughter and her son-in-law, and had even told them she was worried about snakes in the area.

The Scotswoman thought she spotted one in her room a few days before she left, but couldn’t track it down.

After discovering a snake had made the flight back to Scotland inside her luggage, Ms Boxall put it in a box, took it out to her garden and phoned her family in Queensland.

“She called us here in Australia and we phoned the Scottish SPCA and told them that there was a snake in the house,” Mr Airlie.

“We had to tell them it was from Australia and that it could have been a venomous snake. Luckily we found out it was a spotted python so it was fine – it could have been worse.”

Upon closer inspection by Scottish SPCA staff, the non venomous snake was found to have shed its skin during its 9,300 mile plane journey.

“The snake is now in quarantine at our animal rescue and re-homing centre in Edinburgh,” said Taylor Johnstone, an animal rescue officer for the charity.

Shaken up by her experience, Ms Boxall is considering whether she will ever return to Australia.

Mr Airlie told ABC: “She said she’s not so keen to come back and visit. But I suspect she will – she’ll have to think about it at first.”