A family in Freehold, New Jersey, was stunned to discover a very unusual visitor hiding beneath their backyard shed. An enormous python had taken shelter under the structure, and its noticeably swollen belly immediately raised questions about what the giant reptile had recently eaten.
The strange discovery prompted a call to the Monmouth County SPCA after Animal Control Officers were alerted about a massive snake spotted on the family’s property. It was certainly not the type of animal anyone would normally expect to encounter in a New Jersey backyard.
Authorities identified the reptile as an approximately 8-foot-long Burmese python. According to ABC7NY, the large snake had managed to crawl underneath the floorboards of a shed, where it apparently found a secluded place to hide.
Resident Leslie Daley first noticed the unexpected reptile while she was outside watering flowers in the family’s Freehold backyard, her husband, Ed, explained. After realizing just how large the snake was, the family decided they needed professional assistance rather than attempting to remove it themselves.
They contacted the Monmouth County SPCA, and officials soon arrived at the property. A local contractor also assisted the rescue operation by carefully removing boards from the shed so animal control officers could safely reach the python.
Footage from the scene showed officers cautiously pulling the enormous snake out of its hiding place. As they worked, one feature was impossible to miss: there was an unusually large bulge around the middle of the python’s body.
The swollen area immediately sparked curiosity about what the snake could possibly have swallowed.
“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. Continue Reading ⬇️