9-Foot Python Capable Of Eating Pets On Loose, Police Hunt On

Police were searching for a nine-foot python after it was spotted in Cambridge, England, on Sunday morning. Confirming the news, police said they have tracked down the reptile’s owners.

“In the early hours of this morning Officers attended the area of Lovell Rd Cambridge, Reports of a three-meter snake seen in the area. Police have located the owner but not the Reticulated Python confirmed to be 9ft long. Any sighting please notify Cambs Police on 101,” Cambridge police tweeted Sunday.

Officials have also warned pet owners in the area to be vigilant. However, it does not pose a threat to human beings.

Steve Allain, chairman of the Cambridgeshire and Peterborough Amphibian and Reptile Group, said the threat depends on when the animal last ate.

“We don’t [know] when it last fed or how hungry it is or how determined it is to find a meal,” he said, adding that snakes are easier to locate in winter months. “With the hot weather this weekend, it will be comfortable in most places. During the winter, the first place you would look would be in and around cars where they seek the warmth of the engine,” he said.

The Royal Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals asked people who encounter the reptile not to approach it.

“If anyone finds a snake they believe is non-native the RSPCA’s advice is to keep a safe distance, monitor the snake and call the charity’s helpline on 0300 1234 999,” a spokeswoman said.

Reticulated pythons are native to south-east Asia. They can grow up to 31.5 feet and are the world's longest snake.