An albino, reticulated python measuring over four meters (16 feet) has been rescued by an animal shelter in Austin, Texas, after being missing for months.
The Austin Animal Center wrote on its verified Facebook page that it received a call about the massive reptile on Monday when it recovered the animal.
“Due to the temperatures, the snake was lethargic enough that some residents were able to pick it up and keep it in their garage,” wrote the municipal shelter, run by the city of Austin.
Although villagers often exaggerate the size of the snakes when calling for rescue, in this case the python was as big as they thought.
Residents said they had seen the huge snake in the neighborhood since July, according to the Facebook post. The shelter placed the snake in temporary housing overnight and then asked the Austin Zoo to provide “more appropriate” housing for the time being.
In the meantime, shelter workers recalled a social media post they saw months earlier about a missing python. Some investigation led them to a post on the Nextdoor community app, which included information about the snake’s owner.
Shelter staff contacted the owner, who identified the snake based on a “unique characteristic”.
And they discovered that the snake’s owner – a female named Snow – was visiting Austin when a thief broke into her car, stealing a bag with Snow in it.
Now, Snow and the owner are happily reunited, according to the Facebook post.
Reticulated pythons are one of the longest snake species in the world, according to the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission.
They can exceed 20 feet at most. In the wild, snakes are found in South and Southeast Asia, although they are bought and sold as pets around the world.
Source: CNN Brasil
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