Giant python found near Scarborough

Here I am in Hong Kong, where pythons are native and fairly common, yet the only wild one I've seen was only around three feet long (though was just by my place).

Back 'ome in Scarborough area, I maybe saw slow worm (not really a snake) once or twice near the town, and occasional adders on the Moors.
And yet - start X-Files music - here's a real quirky story from April this year:

"A python measuring nearly 18ft (5.5m) has been found dead in a country lane at a North Yorkshire resort.
The snake, which was discovered by a dog walker, was found in Newlands Lane, Cloughton, Scarborough, early on Monday morning.
Police said they had no idea where it had come from"

http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/uk_news/england/north_yorkshire/6538949.stm
- there's a photo of the huge dead snake on this page on the beeb site