In Saxony, a cyclist had an encounter with an exotic snake. The Facebook post from the police sounds funny – but has a serious background.
It is still unclear where the snake, which lay on a cycle path in Saxony, came from. At the weekend, a cyclist discovered the animal between Aue and Blauenthal near Bockau, about 40 kilometers southwest of Zwickau.
At first the man thought it was an adder that had made itself comfortable in the middle of the path. But a mobile phone comparison with photos on the Internet quickly revealed that a ball python, a tropical constrictor that can grow up to one and a half meters long, was lying on the bike path. The man called the police.
The Saxony police reported on Facebook on Sunday about the incident under the title “Royal python gone astray”. The officials arrived at the “crime scene”, as the post says, and put the animal in a dog transport box.
However, not all animal shelters for the demanding exotic animals are set up in the area, it said. The python therefore had to spend a night at the police station before accommodation in an animal shelter was found for him. The report does not say where the snake came from and whether it escaped or had been abandoned.
Police in Saxony warn: Never expose animals
However, the police warns that the purchase of such animals should be considered very carefully. Because they are more than 30 years old, are prone to illnesses and need “a lot of equipment, previous knowledge and attention”. If snake owners come to the conclusion that the animal no longer fits into their own lives, then “please give it to a suitable animal shelter, at best a reptile sanctuary, and don’t release it somewhere in the wild.”
The campaign received many positive comments on Facebook. The cyclist is also praised for his prudence. Some remark that they have their own terrarium at home – and they would have liked to have such a beautiful animal in their home.
A user notes that hopefully all exotic owners can pay their electricity bills. With the high energy prices, other animals might otherwise be abandoned.
In fact, the reptiles are considered “electricity guzzlers” among pets. A terrarium is usually around 30 degrees 24/7 as it mimics a tropical environment. Some animal rights activists and reptile experts fear that with the current high electricity prices, more reptiles will end up in animal shelters – or simply be abandoned.
Watch a video from Thailand: A large python climbs up a tree. The reptile cleverly clings to the trunk. The technique is mesmerizing and fascinating at the same time.
Sources: Police Saxony on Facebook, “Freie Presse”
