Overview

• Prosperity resident Warren Gallman, his son Jordan, nephew Jayden Atchison, and neighbor Evan Turner located and captured the large python after a brief search near a railroad crossing by Mid-Carolina High School.
• Gallman sustained minor scrapes during the capture and initially kept the snake in temporary care at his home while seeking a permanent placement.
• Gallman said the reptile will go to Edisto Island Serpentarium, providing specialized care after weeks of sightings that had concerned residents.
• Newberry County Sheriff Lee Foster said the non-native snake was likely a released pet, a view echoed by zoo staff who caution that large constrictors are often abandoned when they outgrow home enclosures.
• Riverbanks Zoo herpetologist Sean Foley warned that releasing such snakes harms both the animals and local ecosystems, noting these constrictors can reach lengths far exceeding typical home setups.