Police warn 18-foot python is still loose in England after five were dumped in Lincolnshire

An urgent search is underway in the Lincolnshire countryside because police believe an 18-foot python may still be at large.

The search follows the discovery of five huge reticulated pythons in rural areas, and authorities suspect the animals were abandoned exotic pets.

What happened?

GB News reported that the reptiles were discovered across several sites in North Lincolnshire on June 10. Investigators think they had been abandoned by their owners. Humberside Police said specialists have captured four of the snakes, but one is still missing in the Twigmoor and Cleatham areas.

The largest of the recovered animals was a wild-type reticulated python found near Manton, measuring about 18 feet. The other snakes taken in included two albino pythons and another specimen experts believe is a Pied Golden Child Morph.

Humberside Police said its Rural Task Force is looking into a possible breach of the Wildlife and Countryside Act 1981, which prohibits releasing non-native species into the wild.

Officers have urged anyone who sees a snake not to approach it. Instead, they are asking people to keep a safe distance and report its exact location.

Why does it matter?

While reticulated pythons are non-venomous, they are the longest snake species in the world and can still pose a danger to pets and wildlife. GB News reported that the species is native to South and Southeast Asia, and that they kill prey by constriction, first biting and then coiling around an animal before squeezing it to death.

The snakes are not native to the countryside, and police believe they were likely once kept in captivity. Dog walkers in the area have already been warned to keep pets on leads while the search continues.

What are people saying?

Humberside Police sought to reassure the public while also stressing the need for caution. A Humberside Police spokesman said: "These snakes will not attack you."

The spokesman added: "They will only try to defend themselves if they feel threatened."

At the same time, officers made clear that members of the public should not try to intervene on their own: "DO NOT try to catch it yourself, keep an eye on it and give a What3Words location to the police so it can be assessed by an expert and collected appropriately."

Police also used the incident to deliver a direct message to exotic pet owners: "If you have a pet that you can no longer keep for whatever reason, please take it to an exotic animal shop or animal rescue. DO NOT release them into the wild."

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