Overview

• Apartment residents found a 20-foot reticulated python abandoned in a downtown L.A. dumpster after animal control and police declined to remove it.
• Wildlife rehabilitator Joseph Hart of SoCal Reptile Hunter retrieved the snake on August 5 and transported her to his Riverside rescue facility.
• Named Apples, the python is undergoing antibiotic treatment for a severe mouth infection and rehabilitative care.
• Hart has launched a fundraising campaign to cover the cost of medical supplies and a properly sized long-term enclosure.
• The incident highlights gaps in enforcement of Los Angeles’ exotic pet permitting rules and the growing role of specialist rescuers in wildlife welfare.