13ft python terrorises neighbourhood for five months eating cats in trailer park
A massive 13-foot python as thick as 'Mike Tyson’s bicep' survived for five months living in a trailer park by eating neighbourhood cats.
An expert was brought in to get rid of the huge reptile which had been eating opossums and rats as well as the cats it slithered around a South Oklahoma City, US.
“We’re talking, that thing has been eating opossums, foot-long rats, and cats,” said Trevor Bounds of Red Beard Wildlife Control. “The mouth on that thing is the size of your foot and when it opens up you’re going to be able to fit something pretty large in there.”
Staff working at the trailer park told residents to be on the lookout for the snake. According to the pros, it was likely a pet that got loose or was released by the owner. It was first spotted around June.
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The snake has been identified as Reticulated Python (Universal Images Group via Getty Images)“The constricting is what can be the dangerous part,” said Mr Bounds. “You can’t have small children or pets going near this thing that’s why this should’ve been tackled a whole lot sooner. Things could have gotten much worse.”
The snake is an albino Reticulated Python, one of the world’s largest species of snake. Mr Bounds said that it mostly lived underneath one particular home.
He said: "We were using our thermal camera last week to find it but because it is cold-blooded we had to just look for an outline of him."
And added: “They can get up to 24 feet if you let them, maybe longer. The body on this snake is like ’s bicep but 13 feet long."
The large yellow snake was caught on cameraA picture of the snake was set to residents, warning them of its presence and asking for any sightings to be reported. The problem was first noted when neighbourhood cats started going missing.
The carcasses of large animals were found in the crawl space beneath a particular home.
“…I can imagine that each one of those cats put up a nasty fight. So, when it’s been attacked that many times and to that extent, the nice non-aggressive pet snake we once knew is no more. This thing is dangerous now,” said Mr Bounds.
A nearby primary school caused particular worry, especially as there wasn't a gate between the kids and the snake.
The snake still hasn't been caught but traps have been set up and a 24-hour live feed watches it at all times.
“As soon as that thing makes a move the camera alerts my phone and then I’m able to get out there and take care of this thing,” said Mr Bounds. “The park’s staff told me to do whatever I can to take care of this problem, they were very adamant about getting this python out."
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