Do you really think someone would manage to get a snake into that thing if the snake didn't want to go in?

They probably think it's a nice hole to hide in. And if OP threw the thing in the dryer for a couple of minutes to warm it up, the snake is probably pretty comfy in there.

I mean, we don't actually know that, we'd need to test that. I think it's testable, in an ethical way. I would tend to agree with you on principle, but in this case it's not as straightforward.