In short, Bassey was a rescue snake that we reared to full health, but her history of mistreatment, malnourishment and shock finally took its toll. The money we raise will be used to get her professionally taxidemied / skeleton re-articulated and will serve as a memorial to animals lost because of mistreatment and she can continue to educate people about these amazing animals.

Full eulogy and story here;

It is with deep sadness and woe that we say goodbye to Bassey, our rescue Boa constrictor, who passed away suddenly but peacefully in her sleep yesterday. Bassey came to us in February 2017 and we have provided a forever home ever since. In the beginning there were complications that involved resuscitation, a feeding regimen to bring her up to a healthy weight as well as frequent human interaction to help improve her fear of humans and defensive aggression. Over these 2 years, a lot of hard work paid off as we developed a relationship of trust and security, demonstrating that a snake, animals often described in a derogatory fashion and condemned by the media, are not aggressive unless they feel threatened.

Although we expected her lifespan to be shorter than her species' potential of 25 years, we thought and hoped that since recovering she would have lived a little longer. Sadly, the ordeal she came to us with had done its damage and it was only a matter of time before her body would abruptly give in. Discovering her lifeless body came without warning, and is the toughest, but inevitable part of keeping any animal. We know that without us, she wouldn't have made it this far.

We commemorate Bassey for being at the forefront of our reptile workshops, helping to spread the message of good reptile husbandry and animal welfare issues to the public, supporting educational activities we ran at SEN schools, care homes, children's charity events and students' unions. The public have always fallen in love with her gentle temperament and heart touching backstory and although she is no longer with us, we promise that her journey will always play an important role in educating children and adults about these amazing animals. The money we raise will be used to get her professionally taxidemied / skeleton re-articulated and will serve as a memorial to animals lost because of mis-treatment.

Above all else, our Bassey was part of our family and a much loved pet, with an intelligent, inquisitive and affectionate nature. We invested lots of time and resources into developing mutual respect, trust and security and her passing will leave an empty void in our hearts that cannot ever be replaced.

Bassey, you were taken from us too soon and the joy you brought, the snake cuddles, fluff nom noms, noodle swings, hiss kisses, head boob squeezes, and snoot boops will be sorely missed.

R.I.P Bassey, 2014 - 2019.

♥️🐍♥️🐍♥️🐍♥️