A video shows images of wild prairie rattlesnakes in a Colorado den that is home to hundreds of the slithering reptiles. (Courtesy: Project RattleCam via Storyful)
ROME, N.Y. – A New York man is facing charges after illegally owning a 13-foot-long pet snake that had grown too large for him to manage, prompting authorities to intervene.
Officer Jeff Hull from the New York State Department of Environmental Conservation (ECO) responded to the man’s home on Aug. 28, the agency said in a Tuesday news release.
After seeing a picture of the snake, Hull identified it as a Burmese python based on the arrowhead-like design on its head. According to the ECO, Burmese pythons are illegal to possess in the state of New York without a permit.
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A New York man is facing charges after illegally owning a 13-foot-long snake that had grown too large for him to manage, prompting authorities to intervene.
(NYS Department of Environmental Conservation)
Upon entering the home, Hull found the large snake confined to a barely 5-foot tank. The reptile was in good health and weighed 80 pounds.
The snake’s owner admitted to Hull that he was not prepared for how fast his pet would grow and that he recognized he could no longer care for it, authorities said.
The snake’s owner was issued citations for illegal pet ownership and for possessing a dangerous animal without a permit.
The python was taken away and given to Fort Rickey Discovery Zoo in Rome, New York, which has the necessary permits to keep it, according to officials.