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Garbage day gets wild after worker finds massive snake in California trash can
A Glendale maintenance worker found a four-foot ball python curled inside a rubbish bin at Brand Park on Monday. An animal control officer took it to Pasadena Humane for examination; the discovery has renewed questions about how exotic pets are kept and cared for.
The snake is resting in a temperature-controlled enclosure and has been given a pool to soak in. Ball pythons are non-venomous, usually docile and native to West and Central Africa; California has no established wild population, so officials say an escaped or abandoned pet is the likely explanation, though its origin is unknown.
In short
- A four-foot ball python was found in a Brand Park rubbish bin.
- Pasadena Humane is caring for the non-venomous snake.
- Officials think it may be an escaped or abandoned pet.
Explained simply
Ball pythons are non-venomous snakes native to West and Central Africa. They are often kept as pets and usually have a docile temperament, but they need suitable housing and care, including a controlled temperature.
California has no established wild population of ball pythons, so one found in a park is likely to have escaped or been abandoned. Its origin is unknown, raising broader questions about the responsibilities involved in keeping exotic animals as pets.