He also emphasized that viperine water snakes are harmless to humans as they don’t bite people as a defense mechanism and are regarded as non-venomous. Allain said Neville’s reaction could have been more positive with better education about snakes and how to handle such situations, and hoped its new home at Dudley Zoo could help reduce people’s fear of snakes.
Neville is now trying to get compensated for this ordeal. He’s been offered some compensation but thinks it’s not enough, considering the risk it posed to his disabled son and vulnerable mother-in-law who live with him. He said, “It’s just not good enough. The implications for us if it had got out in the house are huge. Plus, I’m phobic of snakes so there’s the emotional impact of that too.”
An Aldi spokesperson stated that their supplier has never had such a complaint before and has strict processes in place to prevent such issues. They are investigating this single incident and have apologized to Mr. Linton for not meeting their usual high standards.