Snake and bat stowaways found on board HMS Montrose

Crew on board Royal Navy frigate HMS Montrose discovered some unexpected guests in their stores – snake and bat stowaways.

The Type 23 frigate has been most recently deployed to Bahrain as part of an operation to keep Middle East sea lanes safe and open.

But last month, the frigate's crew found themselves involved in animal control after a mouse-tailed bat and a snake were discovered trying to join them.

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The animals have been taken care of by the crew.

Alongside the images, HMS Montrose tweeted: "Both were safely released back into the wild by experts."

HMS Montrose has kept busy during her deployment to the Gulf – in February, Royal Marines from the frigate intercepted more than 2.6 tonnes of illicit drugs in the North Arabian Sea. 

Based in the Gulf for the last two years, HMS Montrose is part of the Royal Navy's Forward Presence programme, which stations warships around the world in key regions.