A 10-foot albino reticulated python spotted in The Market Common — a sprawling mixed-use neighborhood on Myrtle Beach's south end — was unusual enough to stun even Russell "The Snake Chaser" Cavender, the owner of a wildlife removal service.
The incident, reported by The Post and Courier, highlighted how escaped or abandoned exotic pets can surface far from places many Americans typically associate with large constrictors.
Here's what to know
Tracy Stout spotted the snake while driving on Oxford Street in Myrtle Beach. At around 9 p.m. on Aug. 17, she alerted Cavender.
After recognizing what she had seen, Stout turned her car around and contacted Cavender.
He said many reports of enormous loose snakes turn out to be overstated, but the photo she sent made clear this was not one of those cases.
He later captured the python.
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More background
When large constrictors appear on suburban streets, they are often escaped or abandoned exotic pets.
Encounters with unexpected or nonnative wildlife can be alarming, but encounters between humans and animals are rising, as a BBC explainer detailed.
In addition to escaped pets, run-ins with potentially dangerous native wildlife are increasing.
Higher average temperatures, excessive land development, shifting seasons, and habitat loss are all factors in this uptick, creating risks for both humans and animals.
What can be done?
Keeping your distance and contacting trained professionals can lower the risk of injury to both people and the animal. Trying to corner, grab, or kill an animal can raise that risk.
An exotic reptile's adult size, lifespan, housing needs, and local rules are all factors to consider before bringing one home. Releasing a pet into the wild or leaving it loose in a neighborhood is dangerous and irresponsible.
Communities can reduce the risk by making it easier to report unusual animal sightings quickly and by educating the public about what to do during an encounter. Faster reporting gives wildlife professionals a better chance to capture an animal before it harms someone or disappears.
"I get lots of calls saying a huge snake is loose, but they tend to exaggerate. But she sent me a picture, and I was like, 'Oh, she's not lying,'" Cavender told the outlet.
Where can I learn more?
These articles look at python removals, rising residential snake encounters, urban snake rescues, cougar sightings, and invasive wild pigs.
• Across the Mid-South, experts say snake calls surged 50 percent as more reptiles slipped indoors.
• In Dhaka, Bangladesh, rescuers warned that snakes frequently sneak into human settlements as urbanization spreads.
• In Napanee, Ontario, residents reported a massive human-sized creature moving through yards at night.
• Across California parks, officials say very little truly stops destructive invasive wild pigs.
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