Three family members catch a 12-foot python on the loose: “It pulled me to the grass”
This is the terrifying story of how a python almost made a meal of an entire family.
A massive surprise unfolded recently in Prosperity, South Carolina, when a 12-foot, albino reticulated python weighing around 140 pounds was caught just steps from Mid-Carolina High School. Reports say the reptile had been spotted hanging around the area for weeks, prompting one man to take action.
Warren Gallman, a local animal enthusiast, found various social media posts concerning the whereabouts of the snake — just two miles from his home — and decided to track it down. Along with his son, nephew, and a neighbour, the group found the python near a railway crossing and video footage captures a fierce tug-of-war as they wrestled the massive creature into a bin.
“Damn, he’s strong as hell!” Gallman was heard saying in the clip. “Are you pulling or is he doing it? Goddamn! Y’all pardon my language.”
“As you can see from my battle wounds, I’m about 220 pounds and it pulled me to the grass,” Gallman later told News19. “It was strong. I got a few cuts on my arm.”
Officials believe this was likely a pet gone rogue. Reticulated pythons are among the world’s longest snakes, potentially reaching lengths of nearly 30 feet, and while they’re non-venomous, they’re powerful constrictors capable of preying on sizable animals... even small children.
Riverbanks Zoo and Garden’s curator of herpetology, Sean Foley told ABC that “a lot of people buy these snakes when they’re two or three feet long, and you’ve got a cage that’s four feet long and that’s fine for a couple of years, but eventually that snake’s gonna get 15 plus feet long.”
When a Burmese python eats a large meal, its small intestines double in size to prepare to digest. pic.twitter.com/h8eINrs83c
— Quite Interesting (@qikipedia) May 25, 2020
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Meanwhile, Newberry County Sheriff Lee Foster commended the group’s bravery, writing on social media: “Warren you and your friends are brave people and great Americans. It is believed this was someone’s pet and it was released because this type of snake is not native here.”
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