When 63-year-old Neville Linton from Birmingham, England, opened a bag of broccoli he’d purchased from a local Aldi store, he expected an easy meal — not a surprise.

Three days after buying it, he unwrapped the plastic and noticed movement among the stems. To his astonishment, a small live snake had been hiding inside.

“It gave me quite a fright,” Linton admitted, adding that he was thankful he hadn’t left the bag open in his kitchen.

Startled but quick-thinking, Linton called his sister, Ann-Marie Tenkanemin, who helped him safely contain the animal in a tub before returning it to the store. Staff at Aldi were equally surprised when the snake began to move, immediately assisting in securing it for further inspection. The reptile was later transported to Dudley Zoo for identification and care.

Experts initially identified the reptile as a young ladder snake — a non-venomous species native to parts of Europe — but later reports suggested it may have been a harmless viperine water snake, common around Mediterranean farmland. Herpetologist Dr. Steven Allain explained that the snake likely ended up in the produce field during harvesting and accidentally traveled through the packaging process.

Aldi issued an apology and launched an internal investigation to review how the incident occurred. Linton expressed relief that his family, including his elderly mother-in-law and disabled son, were unharmed. The snake now resides safely at the zoo — a curious reminder that even the most ordinary grocery trip can lead to an extraordinary story.