RSPCA called out to catch a ‘terrifying’ 6ft-long snake turn up with special equipment and discover a caterpillar

SPECIALLY-trained snake hunters were called out to catch a 'terrifying' 6ft-long python - which turned out to be a two-inch long CATERPILLAR.

Armed with a snake hook, gloves and bite-proof bag, RSPCA animal collection officer Monica Faloona rushed to the home in Dartford, Kent, after a frantic call from a woman who had spotted the 'beast' in her garden.

When she arrived at the house the terrified householder - who was hiding in an upstairs bedroom - told her that she had managed to 'trap the snake'.

When she arrived at the house the terrified householder - who was hiding in an upstairs bedroom - told her that she had managed to 'trap the snake' under a box in her garden.

But when the RSPCA officer flipped over the box she came face-to-face with a two-inch long Elephant Hawk Moth caterpillar.

Speaking about the incident this week, Faloona said: "This poor person was clearly beside themselves with fear and stayed upstairs and wouldn’t come down at all.

"I went out to the garden unsure what kind of snake I would find.

"But I was a little surprised to see a very tiny box placed over what was meant to be a two-metre long snake.

"I carefully lifted up the box and peeped underneath and to my surprise I actually found a beautiful Elephant Hawk Moth caterpillar.

"They are obviously much larger than your usual caterpillar, but I don’t think we’ll ever find one two metres long."

She added: "Even when I explained to the caller that it was just a caterpillar they were still very traumatised and scared, so I decided the best thing to do was to remove the little fella and release him at another location."

A spokesman for the RSPCA said that the person who called 'wasn't a native English speaker' and that the description of the caterpillar had been 'lost in translation'.