Two escaped pet pythons are putting a Kawasaki City, Japan, neighborhood on edge after slipping out of an apartment enclosure and disappearing into a residential area.
The search also reminds us that unnerving encounters between people and animals can sometimes stem from human error. Officials said a few preventable mistakes may have caused the situation.
Here's what to know
According to The Tokyo Reporter, the alarm was raised at around 5 a.m. on Aug. 13, when a company employee told authorities that two pet pythons escaped from his third-floor apartment in Tama Ward's Sugebanba area. Police in Kawasaki City then began urging residents to stay alert.
Investigators said the snakes likely escaped through a narrow opening to the balcony because the screen door was open and the enclosure's sliding door was not locked. The owner had last seen them in their wooden cage at about 9 p.m. on Aug. 12, but when he checked again at 2 a.m. on Aug. 13, they were gone.
The missing reptiles are D'Albertis pythons, also known as white-lipped pythons: a 2-year-old male and a 4-year-old female. Both are dark-colored and about 6.6 feet (2 meters) long. For scale, they are roughly as thick as a 16.9-fluid-ounce (500-milliliter) plastic bottle.
The species is nonvenomous and is not classified as a dangerous animal under Japanese law. However, their escape has understandably rattled residents in an area with nearby kindergartens and high schools.4
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More background
One 34-year-old local father expressed his concerns: "I heard from a neighbor that snakes are on the loose. There are a lot of kids in this area, so I hope they are found soon." He added, "I've strictly warned my children not to go anywhere near anything long and snake-like."
This BBC Future report on why wild animals attack humans looks at why interactions like these can happen.
Situations like these warrant extra caution for families with children, and they can also require emergency responders to spend critical time and resources on a preventable search.
What's being done?
About 30 police officers and firefighters have been searching the area around the apartment building for the missing reptiles.
Tsuyoshi Shirawa, who directs the iZoo reptile zoo in Shizuoka Prefecture, said the snakes may still be close by. "They are not the type to move around quickly, so they likely haven't gone far," Shirawa said. "They are nocturnal and prefer dark environments, so I imagine they are curled up in a dark, narrow space. Neighbors may be anxious, but their lives are not in danger."
Where can I learn more?
These articles cover loose or rescued pythons found in apartment complexes, drains, and neighborhoods.
• In Washington, Auburn police found a pet snake outside apartments and asked who owned it.
• In Singapore, park contractors removed a reticulated python from a drain after workers spotted it.
• Across South Florida, home discoveries showed pythons pose serious threats to residents.
• In Florida, wildlife crews found a giant snake nest in an unexpected spot, alarming neighbors.
• In South Florida, residents filmed Burmese pythons around homes, fueling fears of urban spread.
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