A routine grocery trip turned into a terrifying experience for a 63-year-old man from Birmingham, UK. Neville Linton purchased a bag of broccoli from Aldi, expecting a simple meal. Three days later, when he opened the bag, he was frozen in shock: a live snake was coiled among the broccoli stems.
“I’m not good with snakes,” Linton admitted. “It was pretty frightening. It’s lucky I didn’t just leave the broccoli out in the kitchen—it could’ve been loose in the house.” Terrified, Linton received help from his sister, Ann-Marie Tenkanemin, who carefully trapped the reptile in a tub so it could be returned to the store.
The store manager was equally alarmed when the snake began to move. Linton and his son, Donovan, later took the snake to Dudley Zoo, where it was identified as a young ladder snake—non-venomous but capable of a painful bite. Neville Linton, Herpetologist Dr. Steven Allain suggested it may have been a viperine water snake, a harmless Mediterranean species, likely swept up during broccoli harvesting.
“It was probably scooped up by agricultural equipment,” he explained. Aldi apologized and launched an investigation, emphasizing customer safety. Linton expressed concern for his vulnerable family members, including his disabled son and elderly mother-in-law. The snake now lives safely at the zoo, serving as a startling reminder of how wildlife can unexpectedly travel, even hidden inside everyday groceries.