An RSPCA officer was called to investigate two dead snakes tied together in a tree in – only to find out they were rubber toys.
Inspector Ryan King rushed to Swaton Road, Bow, following a report from a member of the public who discovered the reptiles dangling from a branch.
Ryan said: "When the job was tasked to me I was concerned to read that two snakes had been tied together and thrown into a tree - it did worry me to think what kind of person would do this to an animal.
"But when I arrived and looked up at the 'snakes', even though they were quite high, I knew immediately they were toys."
Ryan removed them to prevent more calls, using his grasper pole to tease them down.
"It did amuse me and a passerby who had stopped to ask me what I was doing. I've kept the snakes in my van as a reminder that you never quite know what you will deal with when you are an RSPCA inspector," Ryan said.
Last year the RSPCA responded to more than 1.1 million calls across England and Wales, with officers rescuing more than 110,000 animals annually. But not all calls are quite as they first sound.
To help the RSPCA continue rescuing, rehabilitating and rehoming animals in desperate need of care please visit rspca.org.uk or call the donation line on 0300 123 8181.
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