Overview
- Animal control officers from the Monmouth County SPCA removed an approximately 8-foot Burmese python that had been sheltering beneath a backyard shed and secured it in a transport enclosure.
- Responding rescuers worked with a local contractor to remove shed floorboards so officers could safely extract the snake without injuring it or the rescuers.
- SPCA veterinary staff performed X-rays and found the python had recently eaten a large opossum, which explained a pronounced bulge in its midsection.
- The SPCA partnered with reptile specialists at F&F to place the snake with an experienced, permitted handler who will keep the animal if no legal owner comes forward.
- Officials used the case to warn owners that releasing exotic pets threatens native wildlife and pets and urged people to contact licensed rescues or shelters instead of abandoning animals.