A family in Freehold, New Jersey got a quite unexpected guest under their shed. A massive python, with a huge, swollen belly, was found, and animal rescue was called. The X-ray revealed its last meal.
The Monmouth County SPCA received one of those calls that many would consider impossible. Animal Control Officers in Freehold, New Jersey, were alerted to a family’s backyard after a massive snake was spotted.
The snake was identified as an 8-foot-long Burmese python. It had taken shelter beneath the floor of a shed, ABC7NY reported.
Resident Leslie Daley spotted the reptile through her Freehold backyard as she was watering flowers, her husband, Ed, explained.
The family quickly called the Monmouth County SPCA for help. Officials arrived with a local contractor, who assisted in removing the boards from the shed.
Video shows animal control officers carefully pulling the huge python from its hiding spot. The snake had a massive bulge in the middle of its body, leaving everyone wondering what it had eaten.
Massive python with swollen belly found under family’s shed
“Our trained ACO got to work and gently unwound him so as not to cause injury (to the snake or us!) Thanks to patience and professional technique, the python was freed and taken to the MCSPCA for safekeeping,” the Monmouth County SPCA wrote on Facebook.
“X-rays showed the python had eaten a large possum. We cleaned him up, put him in a secure tank and reached out to our reptile friends at Fins & Feathers in Red Bank who helped us find safe placement.”
Burmese pythons are native to Southeast Asia and are not naturally found in New Jersey or anywhere else in the Northeast. However, these huge exotic snakes can legally be kept in New Jersey with the proper permit, according to NBC New York.
X-ray shows snake ate possum
The Monmouth County SPCA further wrote that the snake would be housed by a snake expert with the proper reptile permits for now. If no permitted owner comes forward, the snake will find a new forever home.
“Friendly Reminder: Exotic pets do NOT belong in the wild! Releasing them harms local wildlife, domestic pets, and the exotic animal itself. If you can no longer care for a reptile, please reach out to a local rescue or shelter instead,” the post concluded.
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