My rescue works exclusively with animal control facilities and humane societies, not owner surrenders or the general public most of the time. Sometimes exceptions happen. My local animal control gave me a call to let me know she was sending the ACO (Animal control officer) from another county to me for help. Apparently there was a snake loose on a property and they didn't know what to do. It was according to the property owner the animal was "6-8 feet long at least and close to 35 pounds!" The property owner contacted animal control with a typewritter written letter and a scanned photo printed poorly in color on the bottom. TYPEWRITTER! IT HAD THE INDENTS ON THE PAPER! Animal Control first contacted the local police department and they said they were too frightened of snakes. Seriously. No one would do it because they were too afraid! They thought perhaps it might be a gaboon viper. Would I consider going out to the property and looking for it? Does your snake poop in it's fresh water dish? You betcha bippy I said I would. So they had the property owner call me. And then they sent the photo of the snake so I knew what I was looking for.


Printed scanned photo sent in for ID. Totally High RES

A Ball Python. A freaking Ball Python.

It was a rental property that had an rather extended eviction. I felt like I walked into the set of Deliverence. I mean it didn't help that the driveway to the house shared a cul du sac with an active gun club. There was a house that seemed to have a life of its own. I found a few disgusting 10 and 20 gallons near the house. Looking around the property, most of the "grass" was up to my waist and so entangled it wasn't funny. There was maybe a goat pen or chicken coop type of building, logs along a gravel driveway with a bunch of fresh plywood laid out. Plywood that I drove over each one when I was pulling into the property. ALL of them. I started with the chicken coop area thinking shelter. We had a few days where nights were dropping into the 40's that week as well as cold rainy nights. I am a herper, but really, what do I know about herping for ball pythons? I live in Wisconsin! I didn't find a thing in the coop. What about the logs along side the driveway? They have a bunch of leaf litter but perhaps closer to sunning dayside. Walk the line, 500 feet each way. NOPE. Ok, that took five minutes. Those were the easy spots. Then I stood there and realized that the entire driveway was plywood but there was a batch in the middle that were new. Still thinking cover from rain. Literally the first flip, a toad and a ball python. I was so stunned. I felt like Queen of the WORLD. Five minutes in and I was already done? Are you kidding me?

Screen Capture from discovery video because I said bad words.
I had the distinct pleasure that evening of notifying everyone that the snake was captured. Everyone had the same question I am sure you do.

28 inches
725 grams

This little snippet of my videos is one of the "clean" ones so to speak. It is of the property. Seriously I heard banjos. I am quite probably at that moment standing on Wylde Stallion.