Britain's foreign office spent 10,000 pounds ($16,100) to re-stuff the corpse of a giant 120-year-old snake, at a time when government departments are being told to rein in spending.
In response to a freedom of information (FOI) request from political blog Guido Fawkes, the foreign office said the 20 foot anaconda — called Albert — had been in poor condition and required "essential maintenance".
"Albert the anaconda was allegedly presented by a bishop, in what is now Guyana, to the colonial secretary in the 19th century", the foreign office said.
The huge reptile hangs in a foreign office library and is regarded as a departmental asset in a country whose former empire once ruled over vast swathes of the planet.
A spokesman for the foreign office recoiled at the suggestion that reviving Albert's looks might not be essential work for a government whose prime minister warned voters just last month to brace for "painful decisions" on the economy.
"It is quite a bit of money, but he is a very big snake. We will not be constricted, nor will we scale back, in our dedication to preserve this historic national treasure".
Culled from TIMES OF INDIA
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