West Midlands Safari Park welcomes 17-ft python

A 17-ft python capable of crushing a human to death is the latest arrival at a Midland tourist attraction.

The female snake, which weighs almost 8st, needed four specialist handlers to transport it to its new home at the West Midland Safari Park near Bewdley.

It has been transfered from Wroclaw Zoo, in Poland, and is now getting used to its new home at in the Record Breakers exhibit.

It is one of the largest snakes in the park's reptile house but is small compared to the lengths of 33ft the species can achieve in the wilds of south-east Asia.

The snake will be displayed as part of Mark O'Shea's Reptile World alongside a king cobra and a green anaconda.

They are all species Mr O'Shea, who is consultant curator of reptiles at the park, has worked with in the past or filmed in their native countries.

Mr O'Shea, who is well-known for TV wildlife programmes, was on hand, along with keepers David Bain, Daniel Hall and Steve Slater, to welcome to the python to its new home.