Giant 8-foot python found hiding under shed in NJ backyard

🐍 An 8-foot Burmese python was found hiding beneath a shed in a Freehold backyard, prompting a dramatic rescue.
🚒 Animal control officers dismantled part of the shed to safely remove the giant snake after it swallowed a possum.
⚠️ The Monmouth County SPCA says the case is a reminder that exotic pets should never be released into the wild.

FREEHOLD — “Can you repeat that?”

That’s what animal control officers at the Monmouth County SPCA said when they received a call about a massive 8-foot Burmese python found in someone’s backyard in Freehold.

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Giant python with a possum still inside it was rescued from under a backyard shed in Freehold (MCSPCA screenshot from a video via Facebook)

8-foot Burmese python found hiding under backyard shed

The non-native snake was first spotted in the yard on Wednesday, but then it hid itself under the floorboards of the homeowner’s shed.

A local contractor had to come and safely remove the floorboards so trained animal control officers could reach the python and unwind it.

The animal shelter posted a video to its Facebook page of how the whole rescue went down, accompanied by music from “Spider-Man: Brand New Day Main Theme.”

“Thanks to patience and professional technique, the python was freed and taken to the MCSPCA for safekeeping,” shelter officials said on Facebook.

Giant python with a possum still inside it was rescued from under a backyard shed in Freehold (MCSPCA screenshot from a video via Facebook)

X-ray reveals python recently swallowed a possum

The python had a bulging belly and an X-ray showed it had recently eaten a large possum.

The snake was cleaned up and put in a secure tank and is now in the hands of a snake expert with proper reptile permits at Fins and Feathers in Red Bank, where it was housed safely.

Monmouth County SPCA warns against releasing exotic pets

The MCSPCA said that if no owner comes forward to claim the python, it will live out the rest of its days with the snake expert.

“Friendly reminder: Exotic pets do not belong in the wild. Releasing them harms local wildlife, domestic pets, and the exotic animal itself. If you can no longer care for a reptile, please reach out to a local rescue or shelter instead,” the MCSPCA wrote in a Facebook post.

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