An animal education organisation has said it has taken in more than 20 snakes so far this year, including one found in the bread aisle of a food store.

Pet Encounter in Workington, Cumbria, said the baby corn snake, which has now been nicknamed Crumbs, was found in a branch of Heron Foods in Maryport last month and initially taken to a local veterinary practice before being handed over to them.

It is not clear if the snake had been abandoned or had escaped but handler Ben Nicholson, from Pet Encounter, believes cost of living struggles have contributed to a rise in pet snakes being handed over to them.

He said the group has rescued 21 snakes so far this year compared to a total of 14 in 2025.

"There's the equipment, heat mats, heat bulbs, they all have a cost and we're in a cost of living crisis.

"People are looking to cut down on their energy use and these animals can be a significant factor," Nicholson said.

He said his organisation was never intended to be a rescue but it was likely they will need to adapt their business model to accommodate the increasing numbers of abandoned or surrendered pets.

"We started Pet Encounter for education purposes, but we're now looking at changing our business model and going down the route of being a charity so we can get some help with funding.

"We can't say no to these animals," Nicholson said.

He said a lack of education in how to keep exotic animals and trends also contributed to animals being abandoned.

"We find a lot of them coming through crazes.

"With Harry Potter season about to launch again, we're expecting an influx of owls, so we're preparing aviaries for that," Nicholson said.

He added: "People will buy a pet snake and not realise the care and attention that they need."

In June, Pet Encounter rescued a kingsnake from a house in Workington after the new homeowner discovered it in their boiler cupboard and in July, the team collected a milk snake that was found on a pavement.

Last month, Ulverston pet shop and animal rescue service Little Beasties highlighted a lack of education surrounding snake ownership after a royal python was rescued from woodland near Slack Head.

It came just a fortnight after staff retrieved a corn snake from a drain at the Barrow Raiders rugby ground.

Mandy Christopher, who owns Little Beasties, said sometimes "people are not given the right information whether a snake is right for them".

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